MBDA wins ASRAAM sustainment contract from UK

Crown Copyright MBDA has received a contract worth over £300 million from the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) that ensures t...

Crown Copyright

MBDA has received a contract worth over £300 million from the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) that ensures the Royal Air Force remains equipped with the highly capable infra-red guided air-to-air missile, ASRAAM.

MBDA (UK) Ltd will design and build the new variant of their Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) missile, incorporating updated sub-systems into the current ASRAAM design.

The contract covers the supply of new missiles to refresh the existing inventory of ASRAAM. Value for money is ensured through the re-use of components from other MBDA products such as the Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM).

The missiles will be produced at MBDA’s new Bolton manufacturing and assembly site that will be commissioned in mid-2016. The engineering activities are being carried out at MBDA sites in Stevenage and Bristol.

The sustainment of these production facilities also ensures that ASRAAM remains available for overseas customers and future exports.

The eight-year contract will directly sustain around 200 highly skilled technology jobs across MBDA sites in Bristol, Stevenage, Hertfordshire and Lostock, Lancashire and the UK-based supply chain, with around another 200 supported in wider industry. make it possible to upgrade the weapon system as necessary.

ASRAAM is currently in-service on RAF Eurofighter Typhoon and Panavia Tornado GR4 fighter jets, and will be integrated onto the F-35 Lightning II platform in time for first aircraft delivery.