THE UK HAS CLEARED the design of a GEC-Marconi long-range air-to-surface missile to take part in a competition for a United Arab Emirates (UAE) requirement, after having initially blocked such an offer.
The UK Government objected to the initial GEC design because the missile's range was close to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) ceiling of 300km (160nm). The UK is a signatory of this agreement, which is intended to curtail the proliferation of long-range-missile technology.
GEC revised the design of the missile, dubbed the PGM-4, to reduce its range and that this has proved acceptable to the Government.
The PGM-4 is an extended-range variant of the Hakim family of weapons developed for the UAE with money provided by the Gulf State. At least four variants of the Hakim - the PGM-1A and 1B and the PGM-2 and PGM-3 - have been developed for the UAE for deployment on its Dassault Mirage 2000 combat aircraft.
Design and development funding for the PGM-4, is also believed to have been, provided by the UAE. Despite this, the UAE now appears to want to hold a missile competition, with other contenders including the Matra Apache.
GEC was also intending to bid a variant of PGM-4, called the Pegasus, for the Royal Air Force's conventional stand off missile requirement, in a team with British Aerospace Dynamics. This arrangement has collapsed. GEC will now continue with the bid independently.
BAe and Matra are on the verge of merging their missile divisions, and Matra is pushing the Apache for the UK requirement.
The French company has been very keen, to see BAe support the Apache bid, a fact which became apparent during the merger negotiations. With the successful conclusion of these, it was inevitable that BAe would support the Apache, say company executives.
The PGM-4, if purchased by the UAE, would be used to provide the main strategic stand off weapon for its Mirage 2000 and follow-on combat aircraft.
Source: Flight International
