Germany and Italy Funding the Development of MEADS

Berlin and Rome are putting pressure on Washington to continue funding the U.S. program to develop anti-aircraft missile system of medium-range MEADS (Medium Extended Air Defense System).


Earlier, in February 2011 U.S. Department of Defense announced that it intends to stop funding the project after the end of MEADS in FY 2013 development and demonstration phase of the complex due to the lack of necessary funds. However, according to "Jane's Defence Weekly", January 17 this year, members of the international consortium MEADS received a new proposal from the United States, which actually provides for the termination of funding of the program later this year.

The proposal, likely to be associated with the position expressed by the U.S. Congress in approving the defense budget for 2012. The House of Representatives and the Senate agreed to allocate 390 million dollars for the implementation of multi-national air defense system MEADS development program this year. However, three quarters of this funding will be blocked for as long as the U.S. Secretary of Defense has submitted a detailed plan to restructure the program or the assessment of compensation for the cancellation of the contract.


Germany and Italy, for their part, expect to apply the results of the project MEADS in national programs to build defense systems / missile defense and are interested in completing the development and bringing the MEADS program to a high degree of readiness.


In a joint response letter heads of departments for the purchase of arms of Germany and Italy, Detlef Selhauzen (Detlef Selhausen) and Lieutenant-General Claudio Debertolis (Claudio Debertolis) expressed surprise and disappointment of the American position.

Rome and Berlin believe that it does not meet the commitments of the partner countries at the signing in 2004 of a memorandum of understanding to implement the development and demonstration phase of the complex.


During the past in 2011, long and difficult negotiations, Germany and Italy have made the U.S. to agree to the restructuring program, which was enshrined in the U.S. Department of Defense signed in October 2011 amendment number 26 to the basic memorandum.


Thus, if the new U.S. position remains unchanged, Germany and Italy intend to oblige the U.S. to continue funding for the program in accordance with that, "if one of the states early terminate their participation in the development project, it must continue to fund it," .

According to the basic agreement, SAM MEADS is a mobile air defense / defense the next generation, which is intended to replace the SAM "Patriot" in the U.S., "Nike Hercules" in Italy, as well as "Hawk" and "Patriot" in Germany. U.S. finance 58.3% of costs of the program developing the complex. Germany and Italy provide 25% and 16.7% of the funding, respectively.


MEADS Consortium in early November 2011 completed the stage of the modeling capabilities SAM. November 17th, 2011 at the site "White Sands" (sht.Nyu Mexico) has successfully passed the first test firing SAMs MEADS, which involved PAC-3 missiles MSE, easy launcher and click command and control system. The test program included the launch of an interceptor missile at a simulated target, attacking from the rear. Its defeat has required a unique maneuver, demonstrating the ability to perform complex interception in the sector 360 °. During the test, the rocket has successfully completed the tasks, and then there was her self-destruction.

In accordance with the amended memorandum provides for two more test launches to determine the characteristics of the detection system before the completion of the contract for MEADS design and development in 2014.


The first test launch to intercept the target, equipped with air-jet engine, to be held at the site "White Sands" at the end of 2012. At the end of 2013 scheduled for tests to intercept a ballistic missile, which will be preceded by testing of detection systems.