This agreement will see MBDA and BUMAR jointly involved in a project to modernise Poland’s ground based air defences. Long term co-operation will permit significant exchanges of technology between the two partners and the optimisation of investments already made. In this respect the new system will draw on elements of MBDA’s short-range VL MICA and medium-range Aster 30 missiles with other major subsystems such as the radars and the command and control systems developed by PIT (the Warsaw-based telecommunications research institute - Przemysłowy Instytut Telekomunikacji) and RADWAR (one of several companies within the BUMAR group which is Poland’s largest defence equipment manufacturer).

 

The agreement, covering the development, production, delivery and marketing of the future air defence missile system, confirms and advances MBDA’s relationship with BUMAR. In September 2007, MBDA signed an agreement with the leading elements of the Polish defence industry including PIT and RADWAR. This earlier agreement, aimed at establishing the means of meeting the country’s national air defence requirements as well as its NATO and European commitments over the next two decades, recognised MBDA’s leading position in the area of air defence systems designed to counter current and future proliferating threats.

 

Referring to this latest development, Antoine Bouvier said: "This agreement with BUMAR is a further confirmation of the export success of our MICA and Aster product ranges. More significantly, however, it shows Poland's readiness to be fully involved in European co-operation. I am delighted, therefore, that MBDA, as Europe's leading integrated defence company, should have a major role in this development".

  

With industrial facilities in four European countries and within the USA, MBDA has an annual turnover of €2.7 billion and an order book of €11.9 billion. With more than 90 armed forces customers in the world, MBDA is a world leader in missiles and missile systems. MBDA is the only group capable of designing and producing missiles and missile systems that correspond to the full range of current and future operational needs of the three armed forces (land, sea and air). In total, the group offers a range of 45 missile systems and countermeasures products already in operational service and more than 15 others currently in development.

 

MBDA is jointly held by BAE SYSTEMS (37,5%), EADS (37,5%) and FINMECCANICA (25%).