The UK and French governments have announced the start of a joint Assessment Phase to develop systems and technologies for a new helicopter-launched anti-surface missile. The announcement was made at this year’s Defence Systems Exhibition International (DSEi) at the Excel Centre in London, a biannual gathering of the world’s largest defence companies.
The weapon is being developed for use initially in the naval environment and to be launched from different helicopters, including the British Lynx Wildcat and the French NH90 and Panther platforms.
This co-operative project, which meets the UK’s Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon (FASGW) and the French Anti-Navire Léger (ANL) requirements, is the latest in a long history of co-operation between the two nations on missile projects, which has most recently included Meteor and the Sea Viper (Principal Anti Air Missile System – PAAMS).
The project will begin with an Assessment Phase expected to last just over two years and will cost £35M, to be shared between both nations. Work will be undertaken in the UK and France, using industries within their respective supply chains.
This Assessment Phase is fully consistent with the UK MoD’s aims to deepen co-operation with close allies and to take forward the various strands of the Team Complex Weapons initiative.
Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, said:
“This announcement demonstrates our commitment to deepen the co-operation between our two countries, particularly where requirements are closely aligned, as they are in this case.
“By bringing together industry expertise from across the nations we are strengthening our technical knowledge, allowing us to equip our forces with the best highly-advanced anti-surface missile for them to use for years to come.”
The Assessment Phase will investigate appropriate technologies for a future anti-surface guided weapon that meet the capability requirements for the system. In addition, any previous research will be taken into consideration, along with the opportunity to re-use technology from other programmes. By the end of the Assessment Phase, sub-system technology will be matured sufficiently to progress into full demonstration of the overall system.
The joint Assessment Phase is being undertaken through the Team Complex Weapons (CW) enabling contract placed with MBDA (UK) last year. As well as being a further example of co-operative intent between the UK and France, the contract represents a further milestone as part of the wider Team CW approach towards weapons procurement which was announced at the Farnborough Air Show in July 2008.
Background Information
- The intent to pursue the joint FASGW/ANL project was announced at the Franco-British summit held on 27 March 2008 with a formal Statement of Intent signed between the two governments last summer (2008).
- The Assessment Phase contract has been placed with MBDA (UK) as part of the Team CW Assessment Phase contracting arrangements, which were announced by Baroness Taylor at Farnborough on 15 July 2008. Team CW is a group led by MBDA (UK) Ltd, and includes Thales UK, Roxel (UK Rocket Motors) Ltd and QinetiQ Ltd.
- The French Ministry of Defence is linked to the MBDA (UK) contract through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two governments which came into effect on entering into the contract today.
- FASGW/ANL aims to deliver a solution to meet the UK military requirement to replace the Sea Skua missile system when it reaches the end of its life in around 2016. MBDA is developing this “heavy” variant and a “light” variant (known as the Lightweight Multi-Role Missile (LMM)) is being developed by Thales Air Defence Ltd.
- The FASGW projects are being designed to undertake offensive and defensive maritime missions against targets ranging in size from Corvette-sized vessels to Fast Inshore Attack Craft.
- Team CW was formed in July 06 when the then Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Drayson, announced a new approach to fulfilling the UK’s military requirement for CW in response to the 2005 Defence Industrial Strategy.
- The Assessment Phase for this project forms part of the wider Team CW Assessment Phase which announced the launch of six projects to deliver the foundations for a family of UK missiles which, in addition to FASGW (Heavy) and (Light), includes:
- Indirect Fire Precision Attack Loitering Munition (IFPA LM);
- a 50kg weapon family to meet the Selected Precision Effects at Range 1 requirement (SPEAR);
- Storm Shadow Capability Enhancement Programme (SSCEP); and
- Future Local Area Air Defence System (FLAADS).
