Collaborating On Missile Defense

Raytheon Company and EADS SPACE Transportation have signed a cooperative agreement to begin collaborating on ballistic missile defense (BMD) interceptor programs in Europe, the United States and around the world.

The agreement establishes a framework to enable and structure formal discussions between the two companies to identify and pursue business opportunities in the emerging global ballistic missile defense market. Areas of immediate focus include developing mutual business opportunities in variants of existing and emerging exoatmospheric multi-stage BMD interceptors.

"With the proliferation of ballistic missiles and a growing global need for missile defense, we are proud to work with Raytheon, acknowledged partner in BMD exoatmospheric interceptors and systems," said Herve Guillou, CEO EADS SPACE Transportation. "In addition to exo-interceptors and interceptor components, we will strive to foster our transatlantic relationship in other areas including civil space programs."

"EADS SPACE Transportation is a natural partner for us in transatlantic and global BMD. EADS SPACE Transportation has the mature, complimentary technology that is key to building highly capable interceptor systems, as well as compatible and balanced long-term business relationships," said Louise Francesconi, Raytheon's Missile Systems president. "Beyond domain expertise and formidable industrial capability, EADS is a pan-European company with a proven capacity to develop and integrate complex multi-country and multi- company programs like Ariane 5."

Raytheon has developed for operational deployment all of the United States' exoatmospheric interceptors, including the land-based Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle for Ground-based Midcourse Defense, and the sea-based STANDARD Missile-3 for Aegis BMD. Additionally, with Northrop Grumman, Raytheon is developing the Kinetic Energy Interceptor.

EADS ST is considered Europe's leader in ballistic missile defense technology. EADS ST focuses on key areas of missile defense including: domain knowledge, ballistic threat and ballistic warfare, system integration and engineering, state-of-the-art, high-performance, carbon composite interceptor stages, and advanced solid and liquid divert propulsion.

Web site: www.raytheon.com, www.eads.com