The MEADS International Board of Directors announced Steven Barnoske April 1 succeeded Jim Cravens as president of the international joint venture developing the next generation of ground-mobile air and missile defense systems for the United States, Germany and Italy.
Italy’s MBDA, LFK in Germany and Lockheed Martin [LMT] in the United States are the participating companies in MEADS International.
The 1,800 employees from these companies are completing final engineering designs for MEADS program, which is closely watched as a model for collaborative transatlantic development.
The United States funds 58 percent of the MEADS program, Germany and Italy provide 25 percent and 17 percent respectively as partners in the NATO Medium Extended Air Defense System Management Organization (NAMEADSMO). The program management agency NAMEADSMA is located in Huntsville, Ala.
Cravens retired from Lockheed Martin after five years as president of MEADS International.
MEADS is the 21st century mobile air and missile defense system replacement for Patriot air and missile defense systems in the United States and Germany, and for the Nike Hercules system in Italy.
Barnoske has directed tactical missiles programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control since 2005. He also served as director of the Joint Common Missile program, where he was responsible for all development activities, including the missile, launchers and platform integration. Cravens guided the MEADS program through a successful system prototype demonstration in Italy in 2004, a successful System Requirements Review in 2005 and the successful Preliminary Design Review in 2007. He is also credited with initiating a successful Critical Design Review event series that positions the MEADS program for a comprehensive integration and test phase. He will retain close ties to the program.
MEADS incorporates the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) 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 will combine superior battlefield protection with extensive flexibility, allowing it to protect maneuver forces and critical assets against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft.
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. MEADS will provide an open architecture for 21st century air and missile defense system-of-system integration capabilities that allow operational mission tailoring. MEADS will also provide greater firepower with less manpower than current systems, producing dramatic operation and support cost savings.