MEADS:
The German Federal Ministry of Defence has chosen the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) as the basis for TLVS, a next-generation network-based tactical air and missile defense system. It will replace Patriot air defense systems initially fielded in the 1980s.
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will share in development of Germany’s Taktisches Luftverteidigungssystem (TVLS) with its MEADS International partner MBDA Deutschland.
“Lockheed Martin is fully committed to the success of TLVS. It reflects our continuing commitment to international partnerships and ongoing support for the German government’s leadership role in European missile defense,” said Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control President Rick Edwards.
MEADS has been developed through MEADS International, a cooperative venture between MBDA and Lockheed Martin. The TLVS program ensures seamless continuation of this successful development partnership. Lockheed Martin companies in Dallas, Texas; Huntsville, Alabama; Orlando, Florida; and Syracuse, New York are expected to support the German program.
“With this decision in favour of MEADS, Germany has opted for a powerful, state-of-the-art, long term ground-based air and missile defence system sufficient to meet the threats both of today and of the future,” said Thomas Homberg, Managing Director of MBDA Deutschland. “It is now our shared responsibility, together with the armed forces, to provide a solid basis for the introduction of the system.”
In 2013 at White Sands Missile Range, MEADS became the first air and missile defense (AMD) system to demonstrate a dual intercept of targets attacking simultaneously from opposite directions. MEADS is designed to significantly reduce operation and support costs by covering a larger area with less manpower and equipment, and less demand on airlift. Once in theater, MEADS elements emplace more quickly and can be repositioned without shutting the system down.
“We are honored that MEADS will provide the foundation for Germany’s next-generation AMD system,” said Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Vice President of Air and Missile Defense Programs Mike Trotsky. “Only MEADS has demonstrated the advanced network capabilities and 360-degree defense that are now essential requirements for air and missile defense systems.”
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 112,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2014 were $45.6 billion.
