MBDA AND LOCKHEED MARTIN UNSUCCESSFUL IN BID FOR NEXT GENERATION LIGHT ANTI-ARMOUR WEAPON      

21 May 2002

MBDA and Lockheed Martin are disappointed not to have been selected by the UK Ministry of Defence as the preferred supplier for the UK NLAW (Next Generation Light Anti-Armour Weapon) programme.

Kestrel offered a competitive, low risk and proven solution based on the Predator weapon which is now in service with the US Marine Corps.

Performance and maturity were demonstrated during the assessment phase with thirteen Kestrel firings – including one manned firing. Kestrel also provided an unrivalled opportunity for transatlantic co-operation at military, Government and industrial levels and would have led to the first US procurement of production quantities of guided weapons from the UK in a joint production programme.

MBDA and Lockheed Martin would like to thank the USMC and the US Government and the extensive list of British suppliers for their support to the Kestrel programme. Both companies believe that Kestrel has helped to develop a better understanding at all levels of transatlantic programmes and intend to pursue the good relationships generated on this programme into other areas of co-operation.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Team Kestrel (MBDA, Lockheed Martin and INSYS) was formed to offer an advanced generation man-portable fire-and-forget short-range anti-armour missile to the UK Armed Forces. The Kestrel solution was offered in response to the UK Ministry of Defence's requirement for a precision anti-armour capability with high lethality and no field maintenance. Under the Next Generation Lightweight Anti-Armour Weapon programme (NLAW), the British Army needs a new system to replace its ageing LAW80 from 2005.

MBDA is Europe’s leading guided weapons group.The group employs 10,000 across 12 main sites in Europe and the USA and is jointly owned by BAE SYSTEMS (37.5%), EADS (37.5%) and Finmeccanica (25%).MBDA has designed and produced a range of anti-armour weapons including the Milan medium-range weapon, in service with 43 countries, Eryx and Hot and is the design authority for the Long Range TRIGAT third generation anti-armour system.

The Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control group employs 8500. Lockheed Martin UK is a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation and employs approximately 1,000 employees at over 20 facilities in the UK . Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.

INSYS Limited, formerly Hunting Engineering, is a defence company with annual revenues of £125 million and specialising in weapon, communication and through-life support systems. INSYS produced over 100,000 LAW80 weapons, which entered service in 1988.

Please contact for further information:

Carol Reed
Tel: +44 207 451 6099 Fax: +44 207 451 6089
Mobile: +44 7764 323453 Email: carol.reed@mbda.co.uk 

Mark Douglas
Tel: +44 20 7798 2888 Fax: +44 20 7798-2851
Mobile: +44 7879 444081 Email: mark.douglas@lmco.com 

http://www.missilesandfirecontrol.com/ 

Chris Martin
Tel: +44 1525 843765 Fax: +44 1525 843704
Mobile: +44 7711 1521181 Email: marketing@insys-ltd.co.uk