EADS has a 37.5% shareholding in missile systems designer and manufacturer MBDA. MBDA employs around 2,900 people across its three main UK sites at Lostock, Bristol and Stevenage. MBDA (which also has major operational footprints in France, Germany and Italy as well as a presence in the USA) is the leading global player in its field, with an annual turnover of € 3 billion, an order book of € 13 billion and over 70 customers around the world. Major missile programmes include Meteor, the next generation Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile, the conventionally armed stand off air-to-ground long range Storm Shadow and the naval air defence system ASTER PAAMS (Principal Anti-Air Missile System). The six nation Meteor development contract was signed by the UK Defence Procurement Agency in December 2002.This missile system will meet the requirements of all of the participating European nations for a superior beyond visual range missile system and will be integrated onto the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
Storm Shadow is being produced as part of a £700 millioncontract placed by the UK Ministry of Defence in February 1997 and is being fitted on Tornado GR4 and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft belonging to the RAF. These two combat platforms also benefit from MBDA’s ASRAAM (Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile) which has already seen operational service with the RAF. Significantly, the missile system will also be integrated on the RAF’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft (as will Storm Shadow). 2005 saw the entry into service of the Brimstone air-launched anti-armour system which gives the RAF the unique capability of carrying out long range anti-armour strikes from its high-speed GR4 jets.
PAAMS is based on Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles and incorporates three separate mission capabilities in a single naval air defence system – self-defence, local area defence of nearby vessels and fleet area defence. The Royal Navy will deploy its initial PAAMS system on the first of its new Type 45 destroyers.
