MBDA welcomes the signature of the Demonstration and Manufacture contract
for the FASGW(H)/ANL (Future Anti Surface Guided Weapon (Heavy)/ Anti
Navire Léger) missile on 27th March 2014. This jointly funded
Anglo-French contract, valued at more than £500 million (€600
million) has been awarded to MBDA by the UK DE&S (Defence Equipment
& Support) on behalf of the French and UK MODs and will be managed
as part of MBDA’s Team Complex Weapons Portfolio. The work will
complete the joint assessment and missile design work funded by the
two nations in cooperation since 2009.
By working in concert and bringing together their respective strengths,
Britain and France will not only achieve a more cost effective solution
to their military needs, they will also help to strengthen MBDA’s
position in confronting worldwide competition. Similarly this will also
benefit the capability and export potential of those European helicopter
platforms which will integrate the FASGW(H)/ANL system over the coming
years. |
Antoine
Bouvier, CEO of MBDA said: “This programme initiates a new era
of cooperation that will allow significant efficiencies on future programmes.
Instead of combining their efforts programme by programme, as has been
the case up to now, France and the UK will coordinate their development
and acquisition approach to eliminate duplication in the missile sector.
The benefits in terms of competitiveness and performance, which MBDA
has already demonstrated with its principal cooperative programmes (Aster,
Storm Shadow/SCALP, Meteor), will accrue in due course to more and more
of our French and UK products. A decisive step has been made towards
the reinforcement and sustainability of the missile industry sector
in Europe. This development also ensures a long-term commitment to our
armed forces customers with regard to their security of supply based
on mutual access to sovereign technologies”.
FASGW(H)/ANL will equip the Royal Navy’s AW159
Lynx Wildcat helicopters and the French Navy’s maritime helicopters.
Weighing around 100kg, this modern primarily anti-ship missile will
destroy from safe stand-off ranges vessels ranging from FIAC (Fast
Inshore Attack Craft), through medium sized FAC (Fast Attack Craft)
up to large vessels such as Corvettes. This missile also has a surface
attack capability against coastal and land targets.
This joint programme will deliver an enhanced capability
to replace existing and legacy systems such as the UK-developed Sea
Skua and the French-developed AS15TT anti-ship missiles. It also puts
into practice the new cooperative principles agreed by France and
the UK during the summit meetings held between the countries’
governments in November 2010, February 2012 and the Brize Norton summit
on the 31st January 2014. These principles extend to the creation
of Centres of Excellence common to the two countries. While optimising
operational efficiency at the industrial level, this approach will
also preserve the technology sovereignty of both countries.
Suitable for both blue water and cluttered littoral operations, FASGW(H)/ANL
represents a major advance from a technological standpoint. This new
system provides very precise effects against a wide range of threats,
even in complex environments, thus satisfying a recognised and common
future need. A high speed, two-way data-link communicates the images
“seen” by the missile’s seeker to the operator,
who, in addition to initiating an autonomous engagement, can alternatively
remain in control of the missile throughout the full duration of its
flight. This optional, man-in-the-loop, monitor-and-control facility,
enables new capabilities such as: in-flight re-targeting; final aim
point correction and refinement; or safe abort. Ultimately, the missile
will be able to engage targets situated out of direct line of sight
when the launch platform is able to benefit from third party target
designation techniques, for example laser illumination.
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