MBDA and Indonesia’s PT Pindad have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which the two companies will form an industrial partnership to market vehicle-mounted missile systems.

The two companies signed the MoU in the presence of the Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises Minister, Mr. Sugiharto, at an official signing ceremony held during the IndoDefence 2006 exhibition in Jakarta on the 23rd November 2006. State-owned PT. Pindad is Indonesia’s primary manufacturer of military equipment, industrial tools and machinery.

Under the MoU, MBDA and PT. Pindad will evaluate the integration of MBDA’s latest generation MISTRAL ATLAS short-range air defence system on Pindad’s Light Military Vehicle to fulfil the Indonesian Army’s requirement for a mobile, quick-reaction, vehicle-mounted missile system for protection against fast and highly manoeuvrable aerial targets. The MoU will pave the way for an industrial partnership under which PT. Pindad will also be able to expand into export markets as a supplier of vehicles for MBDA’s portfolio of vehicle-mounted missile systems.

Parminder Janjua, MBDA’s Regional Director, said: “MBDA is honoured to have this opportunity to join forces with PT. Pindad to ensure that Indonesia has the most advanced air defence capability for its army and potentially for other export countries. This partnership will provide Indonesia with the indigenous capability it needs for the through-life support of its in-service equipment as well as play a key role in the future development of this new vehicle-mounted air defence system”.

PT. Pindad’s CEO, said “We are delighted and proud to cooperate with MBDA, a company which has a vast capability and experience in missile systems.  Hopefully, this cooperation will enrich the light military vehicle being produced by Pindad to support the Indonesian Armed Forces and for export as well.  Furthermore, through this cooperation with MBDA, Indonesia and especially Pindad, can achieve the technology transfer providing the capability to improve tactical military vehicles designed to carry missiles for the next generation”.

Pindad’s vehicle is a four-wheeled light military vehicle with a gross weight of less than four tonnes, measuring 4.5 meters in length, 1.6 meters in width, and 1.8 meters in height. It is powered by a four cylinder diesel engine and equipped with power steering.

MBDA’s MISTRAL ATLAS has been designed to offer mobility, flexibility, high fire-power and autonomy to MISTRAL Air Defence units. Atlas is a twin-launcher, fitted with two ready-to-fire missiles and can be installed on a wide range of vehicles. It takes less than five seconds to make the system operational and two missiles can be fired in less than five seconds. Both launchers are fitted with a 4th generation IR thermal sight which allows for detection of aerial targets at ranges in excess of 10km.

Atlas fires the MISTRAL 2 short-range (up to 6.5 km) surface-to-air missile capable of intercepting a wide variety of aerial targets including those with even a low infrared signature. It is characterised by an outstanding success rate (93% from more than 2500 live firings), a high effectiveness against manoeuvring targets, and has demonstrated its capabilities against fixed-wing aircraft, nap-of-the-earth helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles as well as moving land vehicles and FIAC at sea.

MISTRAL has already been in service for more than ten years with the Indonesian Navy and has been recently confirmed as key weapon system for the new corvette programme. MISTRAL has either been selected or is already in service with the armed forces of 26 countries.