- إنضم
- 7 أبريل 2017
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France and the United Kingdom have signed contracts with MBDA to update their Storm Shadow/SCALP EG long-range air-launched cruise missiles, it was announced on 22 February.
Under the deal, MBDA will refurbish the country's remaining stocks of the missile, which has been in service since 2003, in order to "sustain the missile until its planned out of service date in 2032", the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
According to the MoD, "The regeneration will consist of a midlife refurbishment of current missile parts, such as the turbo-jet engine, an upgrade of the navigational system, and a like-for-like replacement of items such as the cabling, seals, and gaskets."
Speaking to Jane's a UK MoD spokesperson said that the update contract "is a refurbishment of the extant Storm Shadow capabilities, with the exception of a necessary upgrade of the GPS system."
The first refurbished Storm Shadows are due to be delivered to the Royal Air Force (RAF) at the end of 2018, and the first SCALP EGs to the French Air Force in 2020, according to the French MoD.
According to the French MoD, the UK part of the deal was approved in October 2016 and the French part of the deal in December 2016. The UK's contract with MBDA for the mid-life refurbishment of its Storm Shadows is worth GBP146 million (USD182 million). The French MoD did not disclose the value of its contract with MBDA. The UK MoD stated that the joint update contract would result in saving GBP50 million for the two countries.
The contract was announced during a visit to London by Laurent Collet-Billon, the head of the French defence procurement agency, to meet with Harriett Baldwin, the UK minister for defence procurement.
Collet-Billon stated during the meeting that the contract "represents a new step in the Franco-British co-operation roadmap and strengthens the Franco-British strategic partnership in the armament field".
http://www.janes.com/article/68207/france-uk-fund-storm-shadow-scalp-cruise-missile-overhaul
