The Defence Procurement Agency and Matra BAe Dynamics have agreed a Smart Procurement contract worth in excess of 200 million pounds sterling for Rapier ground-to-air Mark 2 missiles, which will deliver significant savings for the taxpayer and benefits for the customer and its suppliers.
The order is for the supply of both new and refurbished missiles, with deliveries due to start in 2002. It will provide work for some 360 people, 70 of which will be at MBD's Stevenage, Lostock and Bristol sites, with the remainder at its suppliers throughout the UK.
The procurement of the missiles will allow the UK armed forces to maintain their short range air defence capability well into the next millenium.
Developed under a Smart Procurement initiative in which the DPA's Ground Based Air Defence Integrated Project Team, the company and its suppliers have worked closely together, the contract has achieved more than 20% savings against the original MOD estimates and will deliver the missiles more quickly than under traditional procurement methods. It also allows the company to re-open missile production lines for potential orders from other customers.
The missiles provide continued support to Rapier FSB2 and the new Rapier FSC system, which entered service with the Army and Royal Air Force in 1996. Rapier FSC is a very advanced short-range air defence system designed to counter the air threat, including aircraft and missiles.
