MICHAEL PHELAN / BORDEAUX AND BIRMINGHAM
Recently formed Anglo-French rocket propulsion group Roxel is hoping to lead further consolidation in Europe's rocket motor market, as it integrates the former UK-based Royal Ordnance (RO) rocket motors division with French missile propulsion specialist Celerg (Flight International, 25 February-3 March). Roxel, a 50:50 MBDA and SNPE Matériaux Energétiques joint venture, says it expects sales of €150 million ($165 million) this year, accounting for 60% of the €220 million western European tactical propulsion market and 20% of the world market. Roxel's chief executive David Quancard says he hopes the company will be the focal point for further European industry rationalisation, following the previous consolidation of its customer base. "Snecma Propulsion Solide [SPS] might be a natural next choice for integration," says Quancard.
However, SPS only accounts for about €8 million of the western European market, and would leave Roxel's main European competitors as Bayern-Chemie Protac of Germany with €53 million of western European sales, Nammo Raufoss of Norway with €15 million and Italy's FiatAvio with €12 million.
Quancard sees one of the major advantages of the new company being its ability to propose joint research and development programmes to the French and UK defence ministries. Quancard has set a target of a €10 million annual R&D budget, a figure based on this year's sales.
Roxel provides rocket motors for several European missile programmes, including the Aster and Rapier surface-to-air missiles, the Exocet anti-ship missile and the ASRAAM air-to-air missile. Shareholder MBDA accounts for about 60% of Roxel's turnover.
Source: Flight International