Press Release (2001) 085 5 June 2001

NATO's Theatre Missile Defence Programme reaches new milestone NATO's Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) Programme has successfully reached a major milestone in Alliance efforts to field a possible "layered" theatre missile defence system that could provide defence for deployed NATO Forces by 2010 as part of NATO's Extended Air Defence Concept. The Alliance's Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A), has announced the names of the two successful bidders for Feasibility Study Contracts to look at the technical feasibility, costs and timescales of a TMD system based on NATO requirements. The two consortia concerned are led respectively by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), of McLean, Virginia, and the Lockheed Martin Corporation of Dallas, Texas. The contracts will span a period of work of 18 months, commencing on July 1, 2001. Following approval by the North Atlantic Council (NAC) in January 2000, NATO secured common funding for the two contracts. The Feasibility Studies are intended to provide the Alliance with a broader perspective on its layered TMD options to facilitate a possible decision on proceeding with such a system in the future. Welcoming this development, NATO's Secretary General, Lord Robertson, described the placing of the study contracts as a "good example of transatlantic armaments co-operation". "These contracts", he said, "will enable the Alliance to better identify TMD options for providing protection against the very real threat of ballistic missiles to our soldiers, when deployed on NATO missions". For further information please contact Mr Alfred Mikolaschek NC3A tel 0031 70 314 2480, fax 0031 70 314 2177 or Mr Bernd Kreienbaum NATO HQ tel 0032 2707 4291, fax 0032 2707 4103 Background information on NATO TMD Programme In the autumn of 1998, NATO began its work on a NATO Staff Target for Active Layered Theatre Missile Defence and agreement on this Staff Target was achieved in 1999. A Statement of Work was developed and forms the basis for the two Industry Feasibility Studies. The Feasibility Studies will define a NATO Theatre Missile Defence architecture and provide the inputs for a NATO Staff Requirement, or Requirements, to serve as the basis for NATO's acquisition of a Layered TMD capability should this be agreed by NATO and the Nations. It is currently planned to produce the NATO Staff Requirement by 2004 and to have the option of fielding equipment with an initial operational capability by 2010. NATO endorsed the funding for the "NATO Layered Theatre Missile Defence Feasibility Studies" in January 2000. The North Atlantic Council approved this way ahead in February 2000 and the detailed implementation of the Programme was agreed in June 2000. The Study Management Team at the NATO C3 Agency released the Invitation for Bid on 15 September 2000. Four consortia responded to the Invitation for Bid on 29 January 2001. These bids have now been analysed using a "Best Value" source selection approach. The price for each study was fixed in advance at approximately 13.5Million $US. These Feasibility Studies will address the full range of TMD elements and activities, including land-, sea-, and air-based systems and the results will provide the information needed to define a future NATO TMD Architecture. The Fielding of some of the required components of a Layered TMD Architecture is already being planned by Nations, and they will most likely be assigned or made available to NATO Military Commanders. NATO is in the process of developing and acquiring the Air Command and Control System, which will provide the Battlefield Management Communications, Command and Control capability for the whole spectrum of Extended Air Defence.

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