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- 2 مارس 2016
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Berlin blocks German equipment export licenses for the Meteor long-range air-to-air missile to Saudi Arabia. The Germans manufacture, in particular, the propulsion system and the military charges.
Times are tough for MBDA ... The European missile is one of the defense groups, which plays the most the game of European cooperation but, flip side, it finally becomes very (too much?) Vulnerable to the political hazards countries where he entrusts workload. After the disappointments in Egypt with the ban of the United States to export certain components of the Scalp cruise missile to Cairo (ITAR regulation) today in the process of resolution, MBDA must face a new ban on exports of one of his missiles.
This time, it is Berlin's turn to block German equipment export licenses embedded in the Meteor long-range air-to-air missile to Saudi Arabia. Contacted by La Tribune, MBDA did not wish to comment. Ryad would like to arm his future Typhoons proposed by London with Meteor air-to-air missiles. This missile, which has been operational since December on the Typhoon, has the main mission to destroy or neutralize long-range air targets. A missile that should not be used in the conflict in Yemen. This Berlin decision will undoubtedly seriously annoy London. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and MBDA had already signed in 2014 a first export contract of the missile estimated at 1 billion dollars.
German free materials?
In the image of the will of French manufacturers to develop ITAR Free equipment to avoid US bans, some of them are now asking the question of developing equipment without German equipment. However, the German equipment Meteor, which are at the heart of the missile, can be very difficult to duplicate. This is the Bayern Chemie and the Military Load (TDW) and, to a lesser extent, the inertial measurement system (Northrop Grumman LITEF GmbH). B ayern-Chemie and TDW are subsidiaries of MBDA in Germany.
Germany is seriously complicating co-operative programs, especially in the framework of the SCAF ( Future Air Combat System ) and the MGCS (Main Ground Combat System), two very large Franco-German projects. Already the Meteor missile is one of the most emblematic European programs of the defense industry with the establishment of a cooperation that brings together six countries. It is also a success. The Meteor has a much better performance than the missiles currently in service or air-to-air ramjet missiles that can be implemented by 2020.
It is intended to equip the armed forces of Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and France with a missile. Under the supervision of MBDA UK, it is designed to be used from the Rafale, Eurofighter and JAS 39 Gripen. " Without the Meteor missile, it would be very difficult to export the Rafale" , had even explained in October 2008 the former general delegate for weapons Laurent Collet-Billon.
Germany on a hard line?
On September 21, according to Spiegel at the end of October, the German ambassador in Paris, Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, sent a long diplomatic telegram to Berlin, in which he recounted a meeting the same day with several senior French officials of the Ministry of the Armed Forces. and SGDSN (Claire Landais). During the meeting, the French side asked for guarantees from Germany so that future co-operative materials could be exported without restriction. Otherwise, investments in co-operative programs would be useless. The German side believes that the tough attitude of France can threaten the very existence of projects. For now, these projects continue. Because the amounts injected into R & D are still modest.
This high-level debate between France and Germany was echoed in Germany, where the SPD and the Greens clearly showed their will to impose a restrictive export policy on France. " For joint armaments projects, we need to agree restrictive rules with France for future exports, otherwise Germany can not participate in such cooperation," said SPD spokesman on defense issues. , Thomas Hitschler. Thus, the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle does not solve anything for the moment: article 4, paragraph 3, mentions only a very timid "common approach". France would like for its part an agreement engaging the widest possible but does not exclude to negotiate case by case if the Germans want to remain at the stage of intentions. To follow, but the example of Meteor does not encourage optimism ...
Times are tough for MBDA ... The European missile is one of the defense groups, which plays the most the game of European cooperation but, flip side, it finally becomes very (too much?) Vulnerable to the political hazards countries where he entrusts workload. After the disappointments in Egypt with the ban of the United States to export certain components of the Scalp cruise missile to Cairo (ITAR regulation) today in the process of resolution, MBDA must face a new ban on exports of one of his missiles.
This time, it is Berlin's turn to block German equipment export licenses embedded in the Meteor long-range air-to-air missile to Saudi Arabia. Contacted by La Tribune, MBDA did not wish to comment. Ryad would like to arm his future Typhoons proposed by London with Meteor air-to-air missiles. This missile, which has been operational since December on the Typhoon, has the main mission to destroy or neutralize long-range air targets. A missile that should not be used in the conflict in Yemen. This Berlin decision will undoubtedly seriously annoy London. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and MBDA had already signed in 2014 a first export contract of the missile estimated at 1 billion dollars.
German free materials?
In the image of the will of French manufacturers to develop ITAR Free equipment to avoid US bans, some of them are now asking the question of developing equipment without German equipment. However, the German equipment Meteor, which are at the heart of the missile, can be very difficult to duplicate. This is the Bayern Chemie and the Military Load (TDW) and, to a lesser extent, the inertial measurement system (Northrop Grumman LITEF GmbH). B ayern-Chemie and TDW are subsidiaries of MBDA in Germany.
Germany is seriously complicating co-operative programs, especially in the framework of the SCAF ( Future Air Combat System ) and the MGCS (Main Ground Combat System), two very large Franco-German projects. Already the Meteor missile is one of the most emblematic European programs of the defense industry with the establishment of a cooperation that brings together six countries. It is also a success. The Meteor has a much better performance than the missiles currently in service or air-to-air ramjet missiles that can be implemented by 2020.
It is intended to equip the armed forces of Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and France with a missile. Under the supervision of MBDA UK, it is designed to be used from the Rafale, Eurofighter and JAS 39 Gripen. " Without the Meteor missile, it would be very difficult to export the Rafale" , had even explained in October 2008 the former general delegate for weapons Laurent Collet-Billon.
Germany on a hard line?
On September 21, according to Spiegel at the end of October, the German ambassador in Paris, Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, sent a long diplomatic telegram to Berlin, in which he recounted a meeting the same day with several senior French officials of the Ministry of the Armed Forces. and SGDSN (Claire Landais). During the meeting, the French side asked for guarantees from Germany so that future co-operative materials could be exported without restriction. Otherwise, investments in co-operative programs would be useless. The German side believes that the tough attitude of France can threaten the very existence of projects. For now, these projects continue. Because the amounts injected into R & D are still modest.
This high-level debate between France and Germany was echoed in Germany, where the SPD and the Greens clearly showed their will to impose a restrictive export policy on France. " For joint armaments projects, we need to agree restrictive rules with France for future exports, otherwise Germany can not participate in such cooperation," said SPD spokesman on defense issues. , Thomas Hitschler. Thus, the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle does not solve anything for the moment: article 4, paragraph 3, mentions only a very timid "common approach". France would like for its part an agreement engaging the widest possible but does not exclude to negotiate case by case if the Germans want to remain at the stage of intentions. To follow, but the example of Meteor does not encourage optimism ...
