Update-1 MEADS destroyed 2 targets at once

The MEADS missile defense system developed by the United States, Italy and Germany intercepted and destroyed two targets simultaneously in a final test on Wednesday before Washington pulls out of the program, Lockheed Martin Corp said.

Lockheed, which plans to keep working on the project with Germany and Italy, said the test showed the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) can provide 360-degree protection against air and ballistic missile threats. MEADS was developed by a joint venture of Lockheed and the Italian-German group MBDA.

In Wednesday's test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, MEADS destroyed two targets launched from opposite directions at the same time: a QF-4 air-breathing drone coming from the south, and a Lance missile that was flying a ballistic missile trajectory from the north. "No fielded ground-mobile air and missile defense can intercept targets from two directions at the same time, as MEADS did today," said Gregory Kee, who manages the program for the NATO.

The United States, Italy and Germany spent about $3.4 billion to develop MEADS over the past decade as a successor to the Patriot missile defense system. Raytheon Co is the prime contractor for the Patriot system, which uses PAC-3 missiles made by Lockheed, and has continued to generate large international orders. Lockheed says MEADS offers broader protection against missile attacks than the older Patriot system, and is cheaper and easier to transport.

Officials also say MEADS is the only system that offers 360-degree coverage. Raytheon officials say the Patriot system, which first entered the U.S. Army's inventory in 1982, has been heavily modernized, with large foreign orders helping fund new digital processors, touch panel screens and portable trainers. However, critics of MEADS say it has not been tested in combat, while the Patriot system has demonstrated it can fire the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles developed for MEADS.

Turkey to sign missile agreement with China in late 2013

An agreement on building long-range missiles will be signed with China in late 2013, the Turkish Defense Industry Committee said today. The Chinese company's project which envisages manufacturing FD-2000 missiles technically leaves the Russian, American and French-Italian companies projects behind. Earlier it was reported that on September 2013 at a meeting of the Turkish Defence Industry Executive Committee it was announced that the Chinese CPMIEC company won the tender for the creation of long range missiles in Turkey. It was also reported that these missiles will be created by the Chinese company in cooperation with Turkish companies. Moreover, it is reported that the U.S. authorities informed Turkey of their concerns about the country's intentions to cooperate with China in the creation of missile defence systems. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the priority for Turkey is to create the missiles in his own country.

RSAF to acquire new surface-to-air missile system

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will soon acquire a new surface-to-air missile system called the ASTER-30.

The ASTER-30 missile defence system against airborne threats is used by advanced militaries such as France and Italy, and is many times more potent than the current I-Hawk ground based air defence system.

British flotilla steaming to Syrian waters

The Royal Navy (RN) has a Naval Rapid Reaction Force stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean centered around the helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious along with two frigates and a yet to be identified nuclear-powered Trafalgar class submarine.

The RN's Trafalgar subs have the Raytheon Tomahawk Block IV land-attack cruise missiles as standard weaponry. The US Navy's 6th Fleet headquartered in Naples, Italy, has already stationed four Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers off the coast of Syria. Each destroyer has the capability of unleashing a maximum of 100 cruise missiles each against any given target. 

MEADS Future Remains Unclear After $4B Investment

 

MEADS was supposed to replace the Patriot missile defense system until the U.S. Army decided it was too expensive and chose not to field it. U.S. officials agreed four years ago to join Italy and Germany — the other allies partnered on the program — to fund development until 2013. (Read more)