The armaments company MBDA Germany wants to expand its production significantly in order to ensure the supply of the German armed forces with guided missiles of various classes and to contribute to better ammunition stockpiling in Germany. For this purpose, several so-called missile hubs are to be expanded at the Schrobenhausen site, as the company announced today.
According to MBDA, missile hubs are centers for production, maintenance, repair and modernization for weapon systems and missiles, such as Raytheon and MBDA are promoting for the Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T missile. In addition, the company also wants to build such hubs for the guided missiles Meteor, Brimstone and Stinger. The missile hubs would be available in particular to supply the German armed forces and European NATO partners with guided missiles.
The background to the plans are upcoming procurement decisions by the German Armed Forces. The company apparently expects that contracts for the construction of a high three-digit number of GEM-T missiles could be concluded this year. In addition, preparations are underway to procure the Brimstone air-to-surface guided missile for the Air Force, which is to be integrated on the Eurofighter, as Guido Brendler, Head of Sales and Business Development at MBDA, explained at a press event in Schrobenhausen today. The selection decision to introduce this weapon had already been made in the past decade, but was then no longer pursued with vigour. Here, too, MBDA Germany is thinking of an assembly line for the missile developed by the British sister company at the Schrobenhausen site.
According to reports, the Bundeswehr has a great need for new shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles of the type Stinger, which are manufactured by Raytheon. When an order is placed, it makes sense to set up production for this type of missile with the US partner in Bavaria - similar to GEM-T.
According to MBDA, the production capacities for a new armor-piercing variant of the Enforcer shoulder-launched small missile are also to be expanded in the medium term. MBDA recently put a new production line for the Enforcer into operation at the Schrobenhausen site. In the Bundeswehr, the missile is projected as "Light Weapons 1,800+". According to the manufacturer, series production of the first missiles should start this year. Delivery to the Bundeswehr will begin in 2024. The Bundeswehr procurement office BAAINBw had commissioned MBDA Germany with the manufacture and delivery of the guided missile system.
"The development of additional production capacities represents a decisive contribution to ammunition stockpiling. We will significantly expand industrial production capacities in order to enable rapid availability, increase added value in the country and cover the needs of Germany and European NATO partners on a permanent basis," says Thomas Gottschild, Managing Director of MBDA Germany, quoted in a statement from his company. As the company announced today at the press event, 200 to 250 new jobs are to be created in the coming years in addition to the existing 1,300 and new buildings are to be erected.
Editor / lah
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