Expanded Matra BAe Dynamics Claims World No. 2 Status

Further progress toward total European missile integration is being made from amalgamation of Matra BAe Dynamics with EADS' Aerospatiale Matra Missiles, and Finmeccanica/BAE Systems' Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS), to become MBDA.

The company's wide range of advanced technology guided missiles will place the new European group globally as the second largest of its kind, after Raytheon.

The 1996 merger of French and British missile companies into Matra BAe Dynamics was followed in 1997 by MBD's acquisition of a 30% shareholding in DASA's LFK-Lenkflugkorpersysteme subsidiary, the remaining 70% now being held by EADS. With Saab-Bofors Dynamics as remaining partner, LFK has a 70% shareholding in Taurus Systems, to develop the 500-kg Taurus KEPD 350/150 jet-powered low-level long/medium-range (350/150 km) precision-attack cruise missile.

Taurus received a DM26 million BWB contract last summer for another 28 test missiles, for initial Luftwaffe deliveries by early 2002. Full integration of LFK with MBDA is now in progress, following deferment of prior LFK merger plans with Germany's Diehl-owned (with 20% EADS partnership) BGT-Bodenseewerk Geraetetechnik missile company.

From BAe Dynamics, MBD inherited support and production of several well-established weapons systems, including Rapier FSC and export Jernas short-range SAMs, Sea Dart and Seawolf ship-to-air missiles (ShAM), Sea Eagle and Sea Skua anti-ship missiles (AShM), and ALARM anti-radar missiles (ARM). Newer projects include the 87-kg Sidewinder-compatible advanced agile short-range AAM (ASRAAM), in production from $810 million worth of UK contracts, plus first export orders for RAAF F/A-18A/B Hornets.

The 1,300-kg Anglo-French Storm Shadow/SCALP EG long-range (600 km) jet-powered ALCM, with a Royal Ordnance BROACH penetrating warhead, was ordered for RAF Tornados and Eurofighters via a 1997 UK contract worth $1.3 billion, for delivery from mid-2002. Also ordered were some 500 similar SCALP versions optimized for French Mirage 2000Ds and Rafale F2s, plus Storm Shadows for Italian Tornados in 1999.

SCALP EGs followed for Greek Mirage 2000-5s, and unitary warhead Black Shahine versions for UAE Mirage 2000-9s, totaling about 2,000 orders to date. Black Shahine derives from Matra's 140-km range Microturbo TR160-20-powered APACHE runway attack cruise missile, from which SCALP evolved. The French Air Force will begin receiving about 100 APACHEs this summer.

From Aerospatiale Missiles and Euromissile Dynamics, MBD also acquired such widely-sold weapons as the AS30L ASM, AM39/40 Exocet, Kormoran, future 150-180 km range supersonic ANS and short-range AS15TT AShMs, MILAN, HOT 2/3 and TriGAT-LR ATMs, Eurosam Aster 15/30 PAAMs and ROLAND ShAM/SAMs. Matra has contributed close-range Mistral/ATAM SAM/AAMs, plus R550 close-combat Magic 2 AAMs, 35 km range MBD Super 530D/F AAMs, and medium-range (60 km) AMRAAM-class MICAs, with active radar homing or new passive infrared guidance.

An October 2000 FFr1.5 billion ($202 million) French government development contract was also received for upgraded 250 km range AdlA ASMP-A nuclear cruise missiles, for 2011 service. With DASA-LFK and Italmissile, Aerospatiale Missiles has further developed the 140 kg Polyphem general-purpose attack missile, IR-guided via 60 km of target-imaging fiber-optic cable.

MBD's acquisition of AMS will add $1.2 billion in UK orders for Hellfire-derived Brimstone fast-jet ATMs, Aspide Mk 1/2 AAMs for Italian F-104S Starfighters and Eurofighter, and Marte 2a/b AShMs. With BGT, and its six-nation (Canada, FRG, Greece, Italy, Norway and Sweden) IRIS-T agile close-combat AAM successor to Sidewinder, only Thales Air Defense (Crotale VT1/Shahine, ROLAND, Starstreak, Starburst SAM/AAMs), Norway's Kongsberg (Penguin Mk 2) and Saab Dynamics, (30% owned by BAE Systems, with RBS 15F/M AShMs), currently remain outside MBDA's European missile empire.