MBDA Deutschland and Lockheed Martin have announced a new joint venture to pursue the next generation Integrated Air and Missile Defense System for the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The Bundeswehr wants to introduce a new tactical air defense system (TLVS) on MEADS (Medium Extended Air Defense System) base by 2025. It replaces the previously used Patriot system - an overview. The joint venture is expected to become the prime contractor for the new system, which is currently being negotiated with Germany's procurement office for the Bundeswehr, BAAINBw.
Gregory Kee of Lockheed Martin and Dietmar Thelen, representing MBDA, will lead the company from the MBDA Deutschland office in Schrobenhausen, Germany. The company will also have operations in Dallas, Texas; Huntsville, Alabama; and Syracuse, New York; as well as locations in Ulm and Koblenz, Germany. Kee and Thelen both have extensive backgrounds with the armed forces, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and defense procurement organizations and have a strong experience in military, industrial and international affairs.
TLVS will leverage the development results and experiences from the $4 billion investment of the trilateral MEADS program (U.S., Germany and Italy) and deepen the U.S. – European partnership through a continued, shared commitment to local industry, safety and security.
TLVS is a modern system that will transform Germany's defense capabilities and enable this key NATO framework nation to set an important precedent in how neighboring nations address current and evolving threats for decades to come.
