: MBD (the consortium of Matra and British Aerospace) has offered to set up a joint venture missile company with Spain. This company would pursue three projects:


@ Spain has a 10% share in the Meteor missile program, the European beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile produced in competition with the advanced versions of AMRAAM.


@ MBD wants Spain to buy into the ASRAAM (Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile) program instead of buying the American AIM-9X. The joint venture company would make this purchase more attractive by promising technology transfer and a share of export sales.

@ Spain wants an air-launched cruise missile, and MBD wants Spain to pick its Storm Shadow over the German KEPD-350.--Stephen V Cole