Rheinmetall details new air defence orders

Rheinmetall has announced that it has received a number of air defence contracts from customers in Malaysia, Kuwait and one other Asian country, with a combined value of around €280 million. The orders for air defence hardware and/or services include solutions for ground, air and naval units.

Detailing the orders in a 21 January statement, Rheinmetall said that it will be providing Malaysia with twelve fire control radars (TMX/EO Mk2) and six electro-optical systems (TMEO Mk2) for six new patrol boats. This order also includes spare parts and training, and a technology transfer component to allow local industry to take an active part in the project.

According to the company, the fire control technology will be installed on the Malaysian Navy’s new Second Generation Patrol Vessels Littoral Combat Ships, controlling the vessel’s primary and secondary armament. Delivery of the systems will commence in 2015 and continue through to 2020.

Rheinmetall will also supply the Oerlikon Skyshield system to an unnamed Asian customer under a new contract scheduled to run for three to four years. The company will deliver six systems and accompanying ammunitions and logistics, together with integrated MANPADS for surface-to-air missiles, with the first delivery scheduled to take place in 2014.

Finally, Rheinmetall has been tasked with teaching Kuwait’s air defence personnel to operate Rheinmetall-made air defence assets already in the Kuwaiti inventory. The contract, which runs for three years, also encompasses infrastructure, including the construction of training centres.

The company said the contract has ‘great strategic significance’, since advanced training based on Rheinmetall standards ‘can be expected to result in the long-term use of Rheinmetall technology in Kuwait’.