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Spain considers missile project
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03/07/00
Spain considers missile project NICK COOK JDW Aviation Editor
Madrid
Matra BAe Dynamics (MBD) has opened preliminary discussions with Spanish government and industry representatives with regard to establishing a joint venture (JV) missile company in Spain. If the talks are successful, the JV could be formed later this year around three emerging weapons programmes for the Spanish Air Force.
The talks have been given added impetus by the Spanish government's recent decision to endorse funding for its share in the Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), MBD's flagship guided weapons project. Meteor, which was launched in May following the UK's decision to select the weapon over derivatives of the Raytheon Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), will be the primary air-to-air missile for the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Saab/BAE Systems JAS 39 Gripen and the Dassault Aviation Rafale.
Spain is set to take a 10% share of Meteor via CASA, its designated contractor on the programme.
MBD would also like to offer Spanish industry a stake in its Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), should that weapon be selected for Spain's Boeing EF/A-18A/B and Typhoon multirole fighters. The Spanish Ministry of Defence is expected to launch a contest for a short-range air-to-air missile later this year. The competition will almost certainly be contested by Raytheon's AIM-9X and the multi-national IRIS-T, led by Germany's Bodenseewerk Geratetechnik (BGT). The third Spanish Air Force requirement is for an air-launched cruise missile. Competitors are likely to include the MBD Storm Shadow and the Taurus KEPD 350 from LFK, the guided weapons subsidiary of DaimlerChysler Aerospace, which is soon to be merged into the European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) company.
Although 30% owned by MBD, in the interim LFK will continue to offer Taurus derivatives as a "family of weapons", according to MBD officials.
MBD is awaiting direction from the Spanish government over which Spanish companies will be allowed to enter into detailed discussions on the formation of the new JV.
While a number of Spanish companies have active roles in aspects of the guided-weapons business INDRA, for example, is already involved in technology teamings with both Raytheon and Thomson-CSF none has an overall systems integration or fully fledged support capability. MBD says it would establish this expertise in Spain should it be chosen as a partner for the new venture.
Alan Garwood, MBD deputy chief executive officer, said that the Spanish proposition is attractive to MBD because Spain is currently prepared to invest extensively in new missile programmes and could provide access to new markets, such as South America. The discussions should also be seen in the context of the continuing rationalisation of Europe's guided weapons industry, analysts said.