Spanish companies join forces in missile systems initiative

Three Spanish companies are joining forces to work on developing missile systems and other high-performance guided munitions for home and export markets.

The partnership, announced on 10 May, will involve Escribano Mechanical & Engineering and GMV linking up with Sener Aeroespacial, which created its own specialist missile division, SMS, earlier this year.

”The combined capabilities of the three companies will result in a relevant industrial player in the missile systems sector that can address the needs of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces, and represent national interests in international co-operation projects,” said Escribano in a statement.

“The goal is to help improve efficiency and maximise the economic, industrial, and technological returns on the public investment needed to obtain and maintain costly missile systems during their long life cycles,” the statement added.

Bringing together their combined capabilities would lead to “reducing fragmentation and promoting technological specialisation in a strategic industrial sector” and put them “in a position to undertake national and international programmes in the area of missile systems in the best possible conditions”.

Angel Escribano, CEO of Escribano, said “its contribution would centre on its experience in the guidance and navigation of intelligent munitions, and include vision technologies in the visible and infrared spectrum”.

For Manuel Pérez Cortés, general manager for defence and security at GMV, its focus is on “key technologies such as guidance, navigation, and control, or command-and-control for fire support”.

Fernando Mato, general manager of SMS, said the company was “delighted to have Escribano and GMV join our initiative to work together, in a long-term industrial co-operation scenario, on the process of modernising the industrial defence fabric and integrating national capabilities”.