Despite a legal spat between Aerospatiale and Matra over the Apache stand-off missile, Matra British Aerospace Dynamics expects to conclude a deal with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the Storm Shadow derivative of the missile before 1997.
Aerospatiale has begun legal proceedings against Matra over the Apache because of what it views as Matra's failure to honour workshare agreements on the missile which it helped develop. The MoD says that it has in place agreements covering UK industry having a 65% workshare on the Storm Shadow. Aerospatiale says: "When the UK Government gave the Storm Shadow contract to BAe, we asked ourselves it if was compatible with our exclusive agreement with Matra. The workshare…does not appear to be consistent with that." The MoD says that the matter is for French industry and its defence ministry to resolve.
Source: Flight International