Saab-MBDA join hands for anti-tank, air defence weapons: Two leading major European powers France and Sweden have decided to strengthen their defence co-operation under a new strategic partnership signed on 30 January as part of French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Sweden. According to a press statement issued by Swedish defence company Saab, Anti-tank and air defence have been identified as priority areas for co-operation.
In this context, a major new step has been taken in the relationship between the two countries.
On 31 January, Micael Johansson and Eric Béranger, the CEOs of Saab and MBDA, expressed their willingness to support this process in the fields of anti-tank and air defence, two capabilities identified as particularly critical for the armed forces of both countries, especially in the context of high-intensity conflicts.
They signed Letters of Intent to strengthen the co-operation between their companies in these two fields, at the Business Forum organised in the presence of the highest French and Swedish authorities.
Carl Gustaf M4.
READ: India’s steelmaker giant JSW Group forays into defence sector
Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab, said the closeness between Saab and MBDA is reflected in the co-operation over many years, and the deepening and broadening of that through these Letters of Intent is most welcome.
Johansson said doing this in Stockholm during the state visit by President Macron to Sweden was symbolic of how two European governments are working together can facilitate industry in strengthening our collective security.
READ: Rheinmetall-Diehl-Hensoldt bag Germany’s short range air defence contract
Eric Béranger CEO of MBDA, said it is an exciting new step in our long-standing partnership with Saab. We are both world leaders in the anti-tank and air defence domains and we will be combining our expertise to deliver the best capabilities for the armed forces on the battlefield.
“The signature of these Letters of Intent is further proof that co-operation lies at the very heart of MBDA’s values,” he said in a statement.
READ: Rheinmetall’s Boxer IFV begins validation trials for UK Army
Missile defence system.
Saab-MBDA cooperation for anti-tank weapons
Co-operation in the anti-tank field has resulted in an initial focus on the AKERON MP. A first contract has been awarded to Saab and MBDA by the DGA, the French contracting entity, and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV – Försvarets Materielverk).
This will enable the pooling of Saab and MBDA’s expertise in the anti-tank domain, in order to support the Swedish and French armed forces’ choice of the AKERON MP weapon system in the short term.
This will also enable the implementation of a joint capability roadmap to develop new functionalities associated in particular with beyond line-of-sight firing, and also to prepare the missile to address the future generation of targets that will arrive on the battlefield.
READ: India’s DRDO conducts flight trial of Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator
This roadmap will maintain AKERON MP’s position as the benchmark weapon in its field, and an indispensable tool in high-intensity conflicts.
According to a company statement, Saab and MBDA are long-standing partners, as reflected by their co-operation on the Meteor air-to-air missile programme and the TAURUS cruise missile, as well as in the European MARSEUS consortium that aims to provide a sovereign European beyond line-of-sight missile firing capability.
READ: India’s space startup Skyroot Aerospace signs MoU with French firms for satellite launch
