MBDA and ONERA extend their cooperation
MBDA and Onera, the French aeronautical and space research centre, have renewed for a further five years the agreement which has defined the partnership between the two organisations since 1999. The two partners are eager to advance the level of dialogue and cooperation to better prepare for the future and for the emergence of new technologies applicable to missile systems.
26 November 2008
The cooperation between MBDA and Onera, in place over several decades in the area of ramjet propulsion and missile aerodynamics, has been progressively broadened to cover extended air defence, stealth properties of tactical missiles and SAR imaging radar guidance. From now on two new areas will be included in the cooperation: materials subject to extreme thermal conditions as well as the analysis of infrared environments and images. In more general terms, MBDA and Onera will also be coordinating their activities with regard to contacts with the new public and private financing organisations in the area of research and innovation such as “Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)” and the “Poles de Competitivité”.
The new agreement is equally characterised by its European scope defining as it does the relationship between MBDA and Onera with regard to research projects within the EU, the European Defence Agency as well as the Innovation Technology Programme (ITP) which MBDA has been coordinating between France and the UK since December 2007.
Denis Maugars, president of Onera, praised the renewal of the agreement “For Onera, MBDA represents one of the most longstanding examples of our cooperation with industry. A notable example of this cooperation is in the use of the elsA code (a complex software developed by Onera for aerodynamics design and evaluation) for the SCALP Naval programme. This cooperation corresponds fully with our current strategy of advancing partnerships benefiting from “label Carnot” funding (provided by the ANR to encourage technology sharing and partnership) and of being recognised as such as a public research establishment exemplified by the efficiency of its collaboration with industry”.
Antoine Bouvier, Chief Executive Officer of MBDA said: “Technological innovation and the development of future systems lie at the very heart of MBDA’s strategic objectives. Our cooperation with Onera significantly enhances our already considerable activities and is indispensable to the future long term development of our missile activities”.
Notes to editors
With industrial facilities in four European countries and within the USA, MBDA has an annual turnover of more than €3 billion and an order book of more than €13 billion. With more than 90 armed forces customers in the world, MBDA is a world leader in missiles and missile systems.
MBDA is the only group capable of designing and producing missiles and missile systems that correspond to the full range of current and future operational needs of the three armed forces (land, sea and air). In total, the group offers a range of 45 missile systems and countermeasures products already in operational service and more than 15 others currently in development.
MBDA is jointly owned by BAE SYSTEMS (37,5%), EADS (37,5%) and FINMECCANICA (25%).
Onera, France’s leading R&T organisation in the aeronautical, space and defence fields, is a public sector body (EPIC) established in 1946 under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence. With over 2,000 employees it has a business volume of €189 million. A conduit between upfront research and technology application, Onera develops and orientates its research to the benefit of programme agencies, large industrial groups as well as SMEs and small industries. Thanks to its world-leading multi-disciplinary expertise and test centre facilities, Onera is able to call on an approach that combines both simulation and experimentation. Onera has contributed to some of the most significant successes in the aeronautical and space fields including: Ariane 5, the Airbus and Eurocopter range of products, Rafale and Falcon 7X.
Press contacts:
| Jean Dupont | MBDA Group Head of Media Relations |
Tel.: + 33 (0) 1 71 54 11 73 www.mbda-systems.com mailto: ean.dupont@mbda-systems.com |
| Marie-Astrid Steff | MBDA France |
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 71 54 27 27 www.mbda-systems.com mailto: marie-astrid.steff@mbda-systems.com |
| Marion VERNY | Marion VERNY External Communication manager |
Tel.: + 33 (0) 1 46 73 40 65 www.onera.fr mailto: marion.verny@onera.fr |
