CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS
Germany's budget committee will not approve funding for the pan-European MBDA Meteor beyond- visual-range air-to-air missile programme ahead of a German general election in late September.
A member of the budget committee from the opposition CDU party says the defence ministry has not passed Meteor documentation to the finance ministry, a necessary step before the funding request moves to the budget committee.
"The defence ministry is sitting on this paperwork and is not able to give it out for technical reasons linked to the fact that it has not been signed by all nations, Germany included," the committee member says. He says seven other defence projects are on the committee's agenda this week.
A budget expert from the ruling SPD party says: "Meteor is not on the agenda for 3 July, so we are unable to discuss it before the summer break." He says the budget committee needs two weeks from reception of the paperwork to making a decision while the finance ministry requires three weeks - "there is a minimum of five weeks from the time it leaves the defence ministry until the budget committee can make a decision", he says.
Defence items before the budget committee include extending the Panavia Tornado's life by 4,000h to keep the aircraft in service for another 15-20 years; combat search and rescue capability for Germany's NH Industries NH90 helicopters; and procurement of the LFK Taurus stand-off weapon.
Meanwhile, Thales Airborne Systems and MBDA are to combine their capabilities to develop anti-air missile seekers. Thales and MBDA are already collaborating on the seekers for the Mica air-to-air weapon and Aster surface-to-air missile, and the new arrangement extends the partnership to the seeker for the Meteor.
n The MBDA Storm Shadow/Scalp EG has completed the final flight test ahead of trials by the UK Royal Air Force, after which the cruise missile is due to enter service, expected later this year. The production standard weapon was launched from a Dassault Mirage 2000Dat 500ft (150m) and flew more than 500km (270nm) at Mach 0.8 before hitting the target.
Source: Flight International
