Under the prime contract, worth approximately GBP38 million, the team comprising EADS Systems & Defense Electronics and MBDA will demonstrate a new Air Defense Command and Control System integrated with the MBDA Rapier Field Standard C air defense missile system and the Starstreak High Velocity Missile ( HVM) which are both currently in service with the U.K. armed forces.

The ADC4I (Air Defense Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence) solution, Caracal, is based on EADS products already in service with the German Armed Forces offering a low risk military off-the-shelf solution for the U.K.

The Prime Contract, which will be finalized over the coming weeks, is for the Assessment Phase of the GBAD Phase 1 program, under which the U.K.'s air defense assets will be integrated with an advanced command and control system to protect UK forces against new airborne threats ranging from cruise missiles to UAVs.

At the culmination of the two-year Assessment Phase EADS and MBDA will be required to submit a proposal for Demonstration and Manufacture. The total GBAD Phase 1 budget has been announced by the MOD as GBP1 billion. Under a second phase (Phase 2), the missile systems will be systematically updated or replaced.

In January 2003, Caracal proved its ability to rapidly track aerial targets under a successful demonstration to the UK Ministry of Defense.

Tom Enders, President of EADS Defense & Civil Systems and designated head of the newly-formed Defense & Security division, said: "We are delighted that Caracal has been selected under GBAD Phase 1. EADS' and MBDA's engineering teams have worked together effectively to demonstrate a compliant and cost-effective solution to the U.K.'s Defense Procurement Agency which guarantees full interoperability with the U.S., NATO and other Allied forces.

Our skilled teams in Britain and Germany have joined forces to deliver a best value solution to the UK which draws on our capabilities across the EADS group. The project will benefit from the Surface-to-Air Missile Operation Center SAMOC developed by EADS for the German Air Force and from the opening of a program office in Filton near Bristol.

Marwan Lahoud, MBDA's Chief Executive Officer, said: "MBDA's systems integration team will be providing the key expertise to integrate the U.K. missile systems Rapier and Starstreak with Caracal for the U.K. Armed Forces and we look forward to transferring EADS' C4I technical expertise to the UK thus enhancing the UK industrial base".

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