For the first time, MBDA’s Customer Support & Services (CSS) will be promoting its range of customer-focused services and products at a major exhibition. Having developed a partnering approach with the UK MoD, which has already led to the signature of innovative contracts, Farnborough 2008 is the obvious choice for this debut.

Whether a customer orders an existing product or launches the design of a completely new one, CSS is closely involved, discussing, advising and implementing support solutions designed to ensure the lowest cost of through life ownership as well as optimum through life performance and customer satisfaction.

At Farnborough 2008, CSS will demonstrate how customers around the world are already benefiting from a wide range of flexible and customised support solutions including training, equipment testing, supply chain management of spares, test firing campaigns and assuming risk responsibility for weapon system availability. Of special interest will be the Customer Support & Services Days on 16th and 17th July 2008 on the MBDA stand. During these two days a customer will be explaining the rationale behind the support and services package that was set up to meet specific requirements in terms of logistics and cost.

Farnborough has been chosen as the debut for CSS because of a number of highly innovative contracts for availability already in place or being discussed currently with the UK MoD. These contracts for availability involve CSS in risk responsibility for making sure that the relevant weapon systems are ready for deployment as demanded by the customer at a stated time and place. During Farnborough, CSS will use these examples to show customers around the world how MBDA can not only save money but can also remove logistics concerns thereby allowing armies, navies and air forces to concentrate on the defence of the country and not on the state of readiness of their equipment.

Talking about Farnborough, Pascal Gendre, MBDA Customer Support & Services Director, said: “Customer requirements are constantly evolving. Virtually every day we receive a support request which is unlike others already in place. To respond to these challenges we have created a very flexible and personalised approach so that we can find the best solution in line with the customer’s requirements and of course the budget. This is the real people side of the business where we build relationships lasting the 25 years or more that a weapon system is in service. What we have been doing recently in the UK shows just how effective this relationship can be for both sides. Of course I am hoping that we can build on this at Farnborough and show customers from around the world that what we have achieved with the UK customer can also be highly relevant to them”.