Accord Makes Joint Wargame Exercises Possible

Northrop Grumman Corporation and BAE Systems Monday announced they've signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) to work together on developing missile defense solutions. The project will focusing specifically in the area of modeling and simulation.

This announcement follows the signing of a framework MOU on June 12, 2003, between the US Department of Defense and the UK Ministry of Defence to develop bilateral cooperation on missile defense.

The first immediate result of that accord was the July 18, 2003, launch of the UK Missile Defence Centre (MDC), a joint UK government and industry initiative set up as a focus for UK/US cooperation on missile defense. The two companies will establish a business-to-business framework for interaction between the US 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 UK against a missile attack. 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 US and UK analytical capabilities, we aim to facilitate a better understanding of the US 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 UK industrial involvement."

FMI: www.northropgrumman.com