{"id":14379,"date":"2017-11-21T18:58:39","date_gmt":"2017-11-21T18:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/11\/21\/mbda-official-defense-industrial-cooperation-must-survive-brexit\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:23:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:23:56","slug":"mbda-official-defense-industrial-cooperation-must-survive-brexit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/2017\/11\/21\/mbda-official-defense-industrial-cooperation-must-survive-brexit\/","title":{"rendered":"MBDA official: Defense industrial cooperation must survive Brexit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PARIS \u2014 The European Union should ensure Britain\u2019s withdrawal from the group will not weaken defense cooperation at a time when \u201ccritical mass\u201d in the arms industry relies on close cross-border work, said the secretary general of missile-maker MBDA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is absolutely fundamental \u2014 whatever the conditions for Britain leaving the European Union \u2014 that the European Union in its negotiations with Britain in the coming months find an intelligent means to ensure, at least for defense, that Brexit \u2026 does not have any impact and that we can work as we did before,\u201d Olivier Martin said Nov. 16 at the conference \u201cFinancing Defense: What solutions for what requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BAE Systems, which holds 37.5 percent of MBDA, will be a \u201cnon-European\u201d company in a few years when Brexit \u2014 or the British exit from the EU \u2014 goes into effect, he said. Airbus also holds 37.5 percent stake in MBDA, with Leonardo owning 25 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MBDA and other companies, including Thales, stood to be hit<\/a> if the EU took a strict view of what constituted a European company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concern over the terms of Brexit have risen, with British media reporting London was ready to pay double its leaving bill to \u00a340 billion (U.S. $53 billion) in a bid to win favorable terms of trade with the other 27 EU member states.
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A little-known but significant Anglo-French partnership lies with the Materials and Components for Missiles, Innovation and Technology Partnership, a research and technology program set up 10 years ago, Martin noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, missiles we are preparing for the present generation benefit from results of studies launched some 10 years ago,\u201d he said. \u201cSo in reality, it works.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an annual \u20ac13 million (U.S. $15 million) for research and technology, with funding split 50-50 among government and industry, he said. Firms in the supply chain, research centers, small and medium enterprises and startups can apply for funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\t