MBDA has been awarded a contract by the UAE Navy to supply additional Marte MK2/N anti-ship missiles.

This is a follow on to the contract signed in February 2009 for the supply of Marte missiles. Each high speed multi-role combat vessel will be equipped with four box launchers for MBDA Marte Mk 2/N guided missiles, able to strike targets at ranges in excess of 30 km, flying a fire-and-forget sea-skimming profile using midcourse inertial guidance and active radar homing.

Antoine Bouvier, CEO of MBDA, commented: “I am delighted that the UAE has confirmed the trust placed in MBDA for its defense requirements. MBDA is one of the country’s leading defense suppliers and will continue to show our long-standing commitment and support for the UAE Armed Forces.”

Pasquale Di Bartolomeo, MBDA’s Executive Group Director Strategy and Managing Director of MBDA Italia, said: “This new contract reaffirms MBDA pre-eminence in the anti-ship sector and it is a clear proof of the technology leadership of the Marte missile family that, over the years, has continued to be competitive and able to respond to increasing customer requirements, thanks to its modular design.”

With a significant presence in five European countries and within the USA, in 2015 MBDA achieved a turnover of € 2.9 billion with an order book of € 15.1 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 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 owned jointly by Airbus Group (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%), and Leonardo (25%).