Defense and security company Saab has signed a contract with MBDA for deliveries of subsystems for the Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) missile system. The order value amounts to approximately SEK 150 million and deliveries to MBDA will take place during the period 2020-2021.
Sweden is working with France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK to develop and field the Meteor, with MBDA as the program’s prime contractor. This order from MBDA comprises deliveries of radar proximity fuze subsystems (PFS) for the Meteor missile system. The PFS is developed and manufactured by Saab and integrated in all Meteor missiles. The PFS detects the target and calculates the optimum time to detonate the warhead in order to achieve maximum effect.
“This order is very satisfying for us and it is in line with our expectations. It is excellent proof of the knowledge and expertise within Saab, and we can see a great interest for our solutions within this product area. Meteor is definitely a game-changer for air forces around the world and we have been a key part of Meteor from the beginning of the program”, says Görgen Johansson, Senior Vice President and Head of Saab´s business area Dynamics.
“Meteor is designed to combat advanced air threats and its highly capable fuzing system maximizes warhead effectiveness and ensure the highest probability of success. Throughout, the PFS has proven its ability to meet all the demanding requirements placed on it”, said Stefan Öberg, Head of Business Unit Missile Systems at Saab’s business area Dynamics.
The Meteor is a highly advanced, long-range and agile air-to-air missile system that is uniquely designed to counter the most sophisticated airborne threats of the 21st century.
In 2016, the Swedish Air Force’s Gripen fighters became the world’s first combat aircraft to deploy an operational Meteor capability, as part of Gripen’s MS20 capability upgrade.
Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions within military defense and civil security. Saab has operations and employees on all continents.
With a significant presence in five European countries and within the USA, in 2016 MBDA achieved a turnover of 3.0 billion Euros with an order book of 15.9 billion Euros. With more than 90 armed forces customers in the world, MBDA is a world leader in missiles and missile systems.
MBDA is the only European 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 Airbus (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%), and Leonardo (25%).
