Tim Ripley
France has upped the stakes in the UK beyond visual range missile contest by offering to fund up to 20% of the development programme if the European Meteor wins the hard fought contest.
The French link to the Meteor programme is considered highly significant because it opens the door to the new "smart" missile finding a home on more than 1,000 Eurofighter, Rafale and Gripen combat aircraft around the world, as well as existing Mirage 2000 family fighters.
Matra BAe Dynamics leads a team of French, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish and UK companies to win the billion-dollar British contract, against strong competition from US missile giant Ray-theon.
With the French government now throwing its weight behind the Meteor as the future European medium range air-to-air missile, the UK government is likely to come under intense pressure to go for the weapon as fulcrum for the consolidation of the European missile industry.
Inter-government letters of intent have been exchanged between UK and French defence ministers, George Robertson and Alain Ricard, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) is currently being finalised.
Revealed
Matra BAe Dynamics deputy chief executive Alan Garwood welcomed the French moves as a "positive thing" when he revealed details of the possible French participation.
Garwood says he understood the governmental discussions were "proceeding satisfactorily" and he welcomes the French approach to the Meteor programme.
"France could provide development funding in the order of 10% to 20% and would increase the size of production orders," he says. "French industry could easily be assimilated into the programme. Meteor would be integrated onto all European next generation fighters."
The French move is further confirmation that its air force is moving toward wanting a ramjet-powered missile to replace its current family of weapons based on the Mica.
Source: Flight Daily News
