Germany's Diehl group says it hopes a partnership with MBDA will allow it to take a leading role in the German missile manufacturing sector. The company is awaiting the completion of MBDA's deal to acquire LFK and clarification on the company's plans in Germany before it begins discussions on the possibility of a collaboration or joint venture.
"We are waiting for LFK to be taken into MBDA. With this new identity we are preparing to start talking about a German missile house," says Diehl VA Systeme chief executive Werner Reinl. "In terms of time scale, by mid-next year we could achieve it," adds chief financial officer of the defence and avionics branch Rainer Ott.
Diehl is also expanding its activities in the civil aircraft and UAV sectors. It has signed an agreement with Austria's Schiebel to jointly offer the Camcopter S-100 UAV to the German armed forces. The two companies say applications for the UAV could include airborne land mine detection, electronic support measures, field camp protection, counter terrorism missions and other surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Source: Flight Daily News
