The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £300m contract to upgrade ASRAAM.
MBDA has been awarded the contract to design and build a new variant of their Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) missile, incorporating updated sub-systems into the current ASRAAM design.
The contract will reportedly sustain around 200 highly skilled technology jobs across MBDA sites in Bristol, Stevenage, Hertfordshire and Lostock, Lancashire with around another 200 supported in wider industry.
ASRAAM is a high speed, highly manoeuvrable, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile. Built by MBDA UK Ltd, the missile is designed as a ‘fire-and-forget’ missile.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:
“ASRAAM missiles provide our Typhoon jets with battle-winning technology on combat missions, and these upgrades will help to make it a missile for the future, ready for use on our new Lightning II aircraft.
This contract is part of our £160 billion equipment plan, supported by a rising Defence budget. It will sustain hundreds of skilled British jobs and ensure that the RAF continues to perform at its very best.”
ASRAAM is currently in service on Typhoon and Tornado aircraft and will be integrated onto the F-35.
Gazraam as the soviets know it.