European missile house MBDA is mulling the development of simpler variants of future weapons in an attempt to generate more export sales and avert these being blocked by weapon control regimes.
"There is a growing gap between the requirements of our domestic customers and exports," commented chief operating officer Guy Griffiths in a pre-Paris briefing.
"Increasingly, domestic customers are specifying leading-edge systems that are driving us towards the top end of the market.
"This also means export control measures are putting more and more restrictions on exporting these weapons.
Costs
"The emphasis on leading-edge performance drives costs and a lot of export customers can't afford them." With that in mind, the company is considering the development of variants that would be more readily exportable in terms of cost and technology.
MBDA is anxious to get its products on to the Lockheed Martin J-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), says Griffiths: "If we don't have access to missiles on the JSF, it would be a 100% US package on offer to customers."
Portfolio
MBDA is particularly keen to get the Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile accepted on the type. "It's very important for MBDA strategically that we add Meteor to the portfolio of weapons to be offered for JSF."
MBDA is thus lobbying the Italian and UK ministries of defence to add their weight to efforts to get missile on board the US fighter.
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin has been "extremely constructive" in considering Meteor, stresses Griffiths, probably because it realises the advantages of having a larger portfolio of weapons available for the type.
"There is a growing gap between the requirements of our domestic customers and exports," commented chief operating officer Guy Griffiths in a pre-Paris briefing.
"Increasingly, domestic customers are specifying leading-edge systems that are driving us towards the top end of the market.
"This also means export control measures are putting more and more restrictions on exporting these weapons.
Costs
"The emphasis on leading-edge performance drives costs and a lot of export customers can't afford them." With that in mind, the company is considering the development of variants that would be more readily exportable in terms of cost and technology.
MBDA is anxious to get its products on to the Lockheed Martin J-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), says Griffiths: "If we don't have access to missiles on the JSF, it would be a 100% US package on offer to customers."
Portfolio
MBDA is particularly keen to get the Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile accepted on the type. "It's very important for MBDA strategically that we add Meteor to the portfolio of weapons to be offered for JSF."
MBDA is thus lobbying the Italian and UK ministries of defence to add their weight to efforts to get missile on board the US fighter.
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin has been "extremely constructive" in considering Meteor, stresses Griffiths, probably because it realises the advantages of having a larger portfolio of weapons available for the type.
Source: Flight Daily News
