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MEADS International

Germany Approves Nine-Year MEADS Design and Development Program

Orlando, Florida, Munich, Germany and Rome (ots/PRNewswire)

MEADS International (MI) announced that Germany has approved entry
into the Design and Development (D&D) phase for the tri-national
Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS).
"We are very pleased that the German Parliament has thoroughly
reviewed and voted to fund the MEADS design and development program,"
said MI Executive Vice President Axel Widera. "This is an important
endorsement -- not only does it recognize the nations' requirements
for this advanced air and missile defense system, it also underscores
the importance of continuing the transatlantic cooperation to develop
MEADS." Dr. Widera directs the MEADS Design and Development program
for Germany's EADS/LFK and also guides their support to the program.
MI President Jim Cravens added, "This new contract removes the
final constraint to full development of MEADS. MEADS is a significant
new generation of air and missile defense that will cost far less to
own and maintain, will quickly move to the areas it must protect,
will provide complete 360-degree defense with netted-distributed
communication and will address the full threat spectrum. The real
winners are the future soldiers and airmen who will maintain and
operate this advanced system."
MEADS, under development by Germany, Italy and the United States,
includes a lightweight launcher, 360-degree fire control and
surveillance radars and plug-and-fight battle management command and
control abilities not found in current systems. With its enhanced
mobility and advanced technologies, MEADS will offer warfighters
significant improvements over existing systems.
"The Design and Development contract recognizes that MEADS is the
model for successful transatlantic development of advanced weapon
systems," said Pietro Ragonese, MI technical director. "We've all
contributed to the successful development of the system prototypes,
and this contract recognizes the meaningful progress of our efforts.
Our nations are sharing significant cost savings and greater
interoperability by developing this advanced missile defense system
together."
In September 2004, the NATO MEADS Management Agency (NAMEADSMA)
awarded MI a letter contract valued in then-year terms at
approximately US$2.0B plus 1.4B euros to design and develop the
system, with an initial period of performance for which the overall
maximum financial ceiling was approximately US$54.5 million plus 54.8
million euros. This was done under the authority of the MEADS Design
and Development Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed by the
United States and Italy in September 2004. The signatures of the U.S.
and Italy allowed the D&D phase to proceed on a "limited basis." Full
acceptance and signature of the Design and Development Memorandum of
Understanding by Germany enables NAMEADSMA to sign the approximately
nine-year MEADS D&D contract.
Germany agreed in principle to the MEADS Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) in September 2004, but was formally unable to
become a signatory until Parliamentary approval was obtained this
month. The MoU also addresses technology transfer procedures and
allows for participation by other countries in the MEADS effort.
MEADS is a mobile air defense system designed to replace Patriot
systems in the United States and Germany and Nike Hercules systems in
Italy. It also meets the requirements of Germany's "capabilities
oriented" air defense concept. MEADS incorporates the battle-proven
hit-to-kill PAC-3 missile in a system that includes 360-degree
surveillance and fire control sensors, netted-distributed battle
management/communication centers and high-firepower launchers. The
system combines superior battlefield protection with unprecedented
flexibility, allowing it to protect maneuver forces and to provide
homeland defense against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise
missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft.
During the MEADS design and development phase, MI will finalize
designs for equipment and complete their integration into the 21st
century air and missile defense system. The system's six major
equipment items are: Multifunction Fire Control Radar; Surveillance
Radar (MFCR); Battle Management, Command, Control, Communications,
Computers and Intelligence (BMC41); Certified Missile Round (PAC-3
missile and canister); Launcher; and Reloader.
In Orlando, the MEADS program will significantly expand its
technical employment as a result of the contract. The MEADS program
will expand at EADS/LFK, Lockheed Martin, MBDA and MI locations that
currently participate in development of the advanced air and missile
defense system. Lockheed Martin will perform contract work at its
locations in Orlando, FL; Dallas, TX; Huntsville, AL; and Syracuse,
NY. EADS/LFK will perform work on the BMC4I, launcher, Surveillance
Radar and MFCR elements at plants in Munich, Germany. MBDA's Italian
operating company, MBDA Italia, will perform work on the BMC4I, MFCR
and launcher/reloader elements in Rome, Italy. The development work
will be allocated in accordance with national funding. The United
States funds approximately 58 percent of the MEADS program and
European partners Germany and Italy provide approximately 25 percent
and 17 percent respectively.
MEADS will provide capabilities beyond any other fielded or
planned air and missile defense system. It will be easily deployed to
a theater of operations and once there, will keep pace with
fast-moving maneuver forces. When completed, MEADS will be the only
air defense system able to roll off tactical transports with the
troops and very quickly begin operations. More importantly, its open
architecture will provide for 21st century air defense
system-of-system integration capabilities that allow operational
mission-tailoring for homeland defense or defense of maneuver forces.
MEADS will also provide greater firepower with less manpower than
current systems, producing dramatic operation and support cost
savings.
In 1999, MEADS International, Inc., was selected by NAMEADSMA, a
chartered organization of NATO, to develop MEADS. A multinational
joint venture headquartered in Orlando, FL, MEADS International's
participating companies are MBDA Italia, the European Aeronautic
Defence and Space Company (EADS) and Lenkflugkorpersysteme (LFK) in
Germany and Lockheed Martin in the United States. Together, these
companies have focused an international engineering team in Orlando
to develop systems and technologies for the MEADS program, which
continues as a model for collaborative transatlantic development.
http://www.meads-amd.com

Contact:

Jennifer Allen, Lockheed Martin, +1-407-356-5351, or mobile,
+1-407-716-0544; or Carol Reed, MBDA Office, +44-207-451-6099, or
mobile, +44-7764-323-453; or Wolfram Lautner, EADS/LFK
+49-89-3179-2549