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MBDA Launches New European Battlefield Missile Program
Europe plans to develop a rival to the Joint Common Missile (JCM) program in the U.S. under a new battlefield weapons initiative spearheaded by MBDA. A common requirement among several European nations is driving MBDA's efforts to meld French and British technology demonstration programs (TDPs) into a new multi-role modular munition. This program will also include Swedish input from Saab Bofors Dynamics, with Swedish government funding now under discussion.
MBDA chief Marwan Lahoud told ShowNews, "All of Europe is looking at the same kind of battlefield weapon evolution—away from dedicated anti-tank missiles to a multi-role weapon that can be used against a whole host of targets. France and the UK have a similar requirement, with different priorities—the British are focused on an airborne weapon while the French are looking for a ground-launched one. We should have agreement on the French TDP in a matter of weeks, with the UK TDP coming around the end of this year. We will establish an integrated production team that will include Saab from the start—it has some very key technologies for us. A technical demonstration program will start in the coming months with a view to moving to full-scale development in a few years."
Lahoud says that the modular missile plans will not affect the UK's much-delayed Brimstone program—an autonomous radar-guided anti-armor weapon. "Brimstone is another matter," he says. "We are fully committed to develop this weapon and it doesn't overlap with the modular missile in any way. We will, however, use some Brimstone technology in the new missile."
MBDA has a tentative linkage with the Lockheed Martin's multi-service JCM program via the UK. The UK has expressed an interest in JCM in the past and MBDA would provide the industrial backing for any deeper involvement. However, Lahoud says that UK attention is now moving away from the U.S. effort toward the new European concept, noting that JCM "seems not to be the preferred route for the UK now."
—Robert Hewson
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