NORTHROP GRUMMAN AND BAE SYSTEMS SIGN MISSILE DEFENSE MoU
28 Jul 03. Northrop Grumman Corporation and BAE SYSTEMS plc have signed an MOU to cooperate on developing missile defense solutions, focusing specifically in the area of modelling and simulation. This announcement follows the signing of a framework MOU on June 12, 2003, between the U.S. DoD and the U.K. MoD to develop bilateral cooperation on missile defense. The first immediate result of that accord was the July 18, 2003, launch of the U.K. Missile Defence Centre (MDC), a joint U.K. government and industry initiative set up as a focus for U.K./U.S.
cooperation on missile defense. The two companies will establish a business-to-business framework for interaction between the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
Joint National Integration Center, for which Northrop Grumman is the prime, and with the BAE SYSTEMS Battlespace Management Evaluation Centre (BMEC) facility. The BMEC facility is to be used within the MDC to evaluate, among other things, options for defending the U.K. This framework can be used at the discretion of both countries to immediately move out on missile defense wargaming activities.
“Northrop Grumman’s and BAE SYSTEMS’ combined strength in missile defense, in-depth technical knowledge, and sensitivity to global issues, ensures our governments will receive the best possible solutions to the integration and interoperability challenges inherent in a missile defense system,” said Donald C. Winter, Northrop Grumman vice president and lead executive for missile defense. “This MOU paves the way for both companies to go beyond the planning phase. It enables us to reach into the critical problem-solving phase that only proven modeling and simulation can offer. Jointly, our unrivalled expertise will enable us to enhance the effectiveness of a global layered missile defense capability.”
“We believe that this early cooperation between BAE SYSTEMS and Northrop Grumman can help to catalyze an approach to missile defense at the industry level,” said Mike Rouse, group marketing director for BAE SYSTEMS. “By working together to provide a bridge between U.S. and U.K. analytical capabilities, we aim to facilitate a better understanding of the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System. This will help inform decision makers on missile defense in both countries, while at the same time creating a trans-Atlantic collaborative environment in preparation for further U.K. industrial involvement.”