France and UK extend major research program on missile technologies until 2018 22610152

Defence & Security News - France & UK
 
France and UK extend major research program on missile technologies until 2018
Owing to the success of the on-going research co-operation into missile technologies, on 1st October 2015 the French and British governments via, respectively, the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA – French Defence Procurement and Technology Agency) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence) agreed to extend their funding of the Materials & Components for Missiles Innovation Technology Partnership (MCM ITP).
     
France and UK extend major research program on missile technologies until 2018 640 001Among many cutting-edge projects, Roxel is developping a "Snail charge rocket motor" for ground attack in a battlefield application
     
This funding provides for a further twenty one projects and includes the opportunity for new organisations to propose new projects for the programme to start in September 2016.

The MCM ITP aims to consolidate the UK-French complex weapons capability, strengthen the technological base and allow better understanding of common future needs. The programme manages a portfolio of over 121 cutting-edge technologies which hold the promise of major advances, but are still at the laboratory stage today.

With an annual budget of up to €12.5m combining government and industry funding and 30% of the budget targeted towards Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and academia, the MCM ITP has become the cornerstone of future collaborative research and technology demonstration programmes for UK-French missile systems. The individual results of the research were presented at a conference and exhibition which this year is held on the 21–22 October in Brighton, UK.

The Head of the MCM ITP Programme, Mark Owen, welcomed the news saying, ‘We are glad to witness the UK and French governments commitment extended over the next two years. The call for new project proposals is now open on the MCM ITP website and will close 30 November 2015. This gives the opportunity for UK/FR organisations to access this funding, with any projects that are approved starting in September 2016’.