Transatlantic MEADS programme in Design and Development phase
* NAMEADSMA places D&D contract with MEADS International
* EADS/LFK has major workshares in all system components
Le Bourget, 13 June 2005
The transatlantic cooperation project MEADS is now in the Design and Development (D&D) phase. On 31 st May 2005, NAMEADSMA placed the development contract with MEADS International that will run until the year 2013. The participating nations are the USA (58%), Germany (25%) and Italy (17%). "We are proud to be involved in this challenging development project, and the first milestone, the System Requirements Review, has already been successfully completed," stated Werner Kaltenegger, CEO of EADS/LFK-Lenkflugkörpersysteme GmbH.
The trinational MEADS project is a mainstay of future transatlantic cooperation and its overall volume runs to US $ 3.4 billion, with German industry's share being worth about € 850 million. For the worksharing within the MEADS programme, the participating nations have bindingly agreed to follow the 'single sourcing' principle. This determines that all work packages are to be processed by either a single country or jointly. In this way duplicate or parallel activities are precluded. This increases efficiency and lowers costs. German industry is playing a major role in the design of the overall system as well as in all system components:
* Battle Management Centre (BMC4I)
Software architecture, user interface, diagnose & maintenance, Classification, Discrimination, Identification (CDI), engagement monitoring/control, missile simulation
* PAC-3 missile
Up-/downlink software, missile simulation, Missile
Communication Test Set (MCTS)
* Multifunctional Fire Control Radar (MFCR)
Array controller, T/R module, array mechanics, antenna network, cooling system, generator, transceiver group integration & test
* Surveillance Radar (SR)
Array controller, cooling unit, generator
* Launcher
Subsystem design, cable loom, generator, integration, qualification
The tasks associated with MEADS will be performed on an equal partnership basis. "The equal partnership is also visible in the way key positions in the MEADS programme have been filled. Germany, for instance, alternates with the USA in occupying the posts of President and Vice President of MEADS International as well as in taking over the lead with respect to System Engineering. This guarantees that we have an unrestricted insight into the overall system down to the technical details of the main assemblies and are entitled to issue instructions in these areas," explains EADS/LFK CEO Werner Kaltenegger.
MEADS is a mobile air defence system designed to protect own and allied forces in out-of-area operations, the civilian population and important sites in the context of homeland and NATO territory defence. The high-performance, ground-based and air-transportable air defence system MEADS can combat any type of airborne threat, including especially tactical ballistic missiles with ranges of up to 1,000 km. The system is equipped with a 360-degree surveillance radar, a fire control radar and a state-of-the-art battle management centre as well as "hit-to-kill" missiles (PAC 3) and, thanks to its networked hardware and software structure and "plug-and-fight" capability, can be configured ad hoc to counter a specific threat.
The trinational MEADS programme secures German high-technology in the areas of system engineering, radar technology and combat management software, missile guidance and control and lightweight design and, along with this know-how, more than 450 high-tech jobs at EADS and LFK as well as in the medium-sized German supply industry.
The Business Unit EADS/LFK develops and manufactures guided missile systems and is an integrated part of the EADS Defence and Security Systems Division (DS).
EADS Defence and Security Systems, with revenues of about € 5.4 billion in 2004 and roughly 24,000 employees across ten nations, forms the defence pole within EADS. The division offers integrated systems solutions to the new challenges confronting armed forces and homeland security units. It is active in the areas of military aircraft, missile systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems with manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), battlefield management systems, defence electronics, sensors and avionics, and related services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of € 31.8 billion and employed a workforce of about 110,000.
Contacts:
Wolfram Lautner
Unterschleißheim
Tel.: +49 089 3179 2549
mailto: wolfram.lautner@eads.com
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