MBDA, Europe’s leading missile maker, yesterday said it entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lockheed Martin [LMT] to explore the market for using Lockheed Martinlaunchers with MBDA missiles.
Under the MoU,the companies agreed to jointly look at the market for the integration of the MBDA naval missile systems into Lockheed Martin launch systems, plan for all necessary common developments and pursue mutually beneficial opportunities.
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| Sea-Ceptor CAMM Copyright MBDA BMT |
Specifically, the companies intend to work together to assess potential
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| MK 41 Family of Launchers Photo: Lockheed Martin |
business opportunities with for potential sales of Lockheed Martin’s MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) and Extensible Launching System (ExLS) and MDBA’s Air Defense and Anti-Ship missiles systems, starting with MBDA’s Sea Ceptor, using the CAMM missile.
Lockheed Martin and MBDA plan to jointly demonstrate the launch of a CAMM missile from a Lockheed Martin MK 41 Vertical Launch System later in 2013.
MBDA CEO Antoine Bouvier said: “Possessing the broadest range of naval missiles available on the market, there is a strong logic for MBDA to join forces with Lockheed Martin whose vertical launch systems have a strong presence in the naval market. Working in concert, we will be able to offer greater choice to naval customers around the globe providing them with solutions optimized to their exact needs, which has always been MBDA’s priority.”
MBDA is jointly held by BAE Systems and the European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. (EADS), each holding 37.5 percent, and Finmeccanica holding 25 percent.