MBDA wants common weapons to fly on SCAF and GCAP (executive)

World Air War

BUCHAREST — The future Franco-German-Spanish Combat Air System (SCAF) and the Anglo-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) may be geopolitical rivals, but given their European roots, both should consider creating common subsystems, according to a senior MBDA executive.

Speaking to Breaking Defense last month, MBDA vice president for Europe Arnaud Rousset said there must be “commonalities” between the two programs, as well as elsewhere in Europe.

“Customers can share a single product to equip a variety of equipment and platforms. MBDA has the expertise to offer such solutions and would be a good tool for this work, if asked,” said Rousset. He cited as an example the Meteor air-to-air missile, which is expected to be made available to all GCAP customers in the coming years and which is already integrated into different platforms such as Gripen, Eurofighter and Rafale.

“MBDA seeks to increase production and production sustainability, while reducing delivery times. Joint acquisitions are key in this regard,” he added before emphasizing that “sovereign capabilities” are key for defense customers.

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Of course, it is advantageous for MBDA to have as many platforms as possible equipped with the company's weapons. But one of the main lessons learned from Ukraine is the need for munitions, in particular, to be common across Europe so that countries can help each other when needed.

Another example in which Rousset sees potential is that of “cooperation” in short-range air defense (SHORAD). He said the company was working with Romania to push them to join an effort, launched at least a year ago at the Paris Air Show by France, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia and Hungary, to explore the acquisition joint mission of MBDA's Mistral 3 SHORAD missile systems.

“We fully support Romania to be part of a common agreement [SHORAD] acquisition led by the DGA [French Defense Procurement Agency],” he said. “These discussions are progressing and we believe that this type of mechanism is in line with the European policy of going together, buying together and being more efficient and more effective together. So we see some hundreds of advantages for Romania to choose this mechanism, and I see no disadvantage in it.

“Since February 2022 [and the start of the Ukraine War]“V-SHORAD capability is more important than ever and is now considered a very effective way to counter drones,” Rousset said.

Romanian movements

Rousset spoke to Breaking Defense at the BSDA show in Bucharest, following the announcement of MBDA's first contract in the central European country – a contract which the executive hopes will be just the start of a long relationship.

On May 23, MBDA signed a contract with Romanian aerospace company IAR Brasov to “support the integration of the Marte ER missile” on board the Romanian Navy’s Airbus H215M maritime helicopter. Specific details regarding the contract have not been released and MBDA was unable to comment on contract numbers or delivery dates.

Calling the Marte ER deal a “major step” in terms of cooperation between MBDA and the Romanian armed forces, Rousset called Romania a “very specific market for MBDA” and suggested that the Marte ER contract is the “beginning of 'a long term'. cooperation and numerous projects in Romania related to missiles and missile systems.”

Marte ER is a family of multi-platform missiles already integrated on board several platforms in the Italian Armed Forces.

Following Romania's selection of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in September last year, MBDA is also positioning itself to offer Romania other precision strike munitions from its wider portfolio. Options, according to Rousset, include the Meteor air-to-air missile which is expected to be carried in the future by the British Royal Air Force's F-35s.

MBDA is also targeting “multiple prongs” of Romania’s operational needs, offering the Mica and Mistral 3 vertically launched (VL) missiles as well as its Sky Warden unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) solution.