2015 : a great vintage for MBDA
By Joseph Roukoz
MBDA in 2015 displays an average 10 percent profitability thanks to an ever growing export.
The missile manufacturer MBDA registered in 2015 record orders with a turnover of 2.9 billion and a backlog of 5.2 billion, of which 3 billion are intended to arm the 48 Rafales exported to Qatar and Egypt. MBDA hopes that Dassault will soon conclude the sale of 36 Rafales to India to inflate furthermore its backlog.
Antoine Bouvier insisted on the fact that MBDA is the living proof of a European industrial integration, with a strong revival of its domestic orders. Italy has ordered a new generation of surface-air system for its future patrol. The UK has promised 300 million pounds to renew its ASRAAM air-to-air missile stock for the Royal Air Force, and at the recent Franco-British defence summit the two countries referred to cross orders for the French army of modernized British Brimstone missiles for its Tiger helicopters, Britain undertaking a reciprocal move to select the Aster missile for his T45 vessels. Furthermore Germany confirmed the selection of the MEADS air defence system to replace its existing Patriot batteries.
In answering a question, Antoine Bouvier, confirmed that MBDA had reopened discussions with Turkey after the cancellation by Ankara in 2013 of a contract with China for the supply of long-range missiles. An order then valued at about $ 3.5 billion, which had unleashed wide NATO criticisms and especially from the USA. New discussions on a new basis have been initiated as Ankara now wants to conclude a broad defence cooperation with Europe and has given up the idea of purchasing an out of the shelf anti-missile equipment, pointed out Antoine Bouvier.
If all goes as planned, the MBDA plans to achieve by the end of 2016 the symbolic threshold of 20 billion in orders. After a rise of 20 percent of its turnover to $ 2.9 billion in 2015, MBDA intends to reach the 3 billion mark this year. A clear sign of the market revival, for the first time, the company’s export activity should exceed in 2016 that realized in Europe.