Alan Dron
Raytheon enlisted the help of British parliamentarians yesterday in its fight to secure the UK order for the next generation of beyond visual range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAM).
Andy Head, director of marketing for Raytheon Systems, cites this summer's parliamentary report Aspects of Defence Procurement and Industrial Policy.
This commented that it was "vital" that the UK continued to collaborate closely with the USA, "-especially where the US offers the technologies essential to our future operational capability".
Eurofighter EF2000 will enter service with the Advanced Medium-Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) as its beyond visual range armament.
Raytheon's follow-on BVRAAM competitor, the Future Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (FMRAAM), is competing with the meteor offered by a European consortium led by Matra BAe Dynamics. A contract decision is expected next April or May.
At stake is not only the British order, but potential exports. Raytheon estimates a market of up to 15,000 missiles by 2015.
Development
The contest is settling into the familiar transatlantic format, but Raytheon is at pains to point out that 80% of FMRAAM production and development will be carried out in Europe, with its UK operation heading its bid. Some 72% of production and development would take place in the UK, says the company.
Raytheon claims that the FMRAAM will have 73% parts commonality and 96% software commonality with the AMRAAM, which is already in UK inventories.
FMRAAM will combine a 'compressed' and updated AMRAAM electronics package with a liquid-fuel ramjet to increase the missile's kinematics in the end-game phase of flight and increase the 'no-escape zone' by some 250% over current missiles, says Raytheon.
The company is also offering the UK the option of purchasing its Extended Range Air-to-Air Missile (ERAAM), another development of Amraam.This is claimed to deliver 80% of FMRAAM's kinematic performance, at 50% of the price.
Source: Flight Daily News