On October 15, MBDA completed the firing campaign to validate the series production of the Milan ER, as jointly scheduled with export customers. Four totally successful firings against fixed and moving targets confirmed the performance capabilities of the firing post, of the missile as well as of the warhead.
This final technical step follows the qualification of the Milan ER weapon system that was achieved during the first half of 2014. MBDA will now be able to finalize the production work and deliver the first units in the spring next year, as planned.
The development of the MILAN ER system is self-funded by MBDA. The system offers the operational characteristics of the MILAN family of missiles, which are currently used by the armed forces of around forty countries worldwide, and also features latest-generation technologies with a strongly extended range, a highly powerful warhead and a fully digital firing post.
The system is already chosen by 3 export customers and is attracting growing interest amongst armed forces which require a highly efficient missile at an highly competitive acquisition and life cycle cost.
MBDA CEO Antoine Bouvier declared on this occasion: “The Milan ER missile is of particular importance to us, owing to the long performance lineage it clearly embodies, but also because this very attractive system allows MBDA to maintain a business and technical presence in a great number of countries, all of which are prospective customers for higher-end products.”
With industrial facilities in five European countries and within the USA, in 2013 MBDA achieved a turnover of € 2.8 billion with an order book of € 10.8 billion. With more than 90 armed forces customers in the world, MBDA is a world leader in missiles and missile systems. MBDA is jointly held by Airbus Group (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%) and Finmeccanica (25%).
