Press Release (2003)109 26 Sept. 2003

NATO Missile Defence Feasibility Study Transatlantic Industry Study Team selected At the November 2002 Prague Summit NATO Heads of State and Government agreed to initiate a new NATO Missile Defence Feasibility Study to examine options for protecting Alliance territory, forces and population centres against the full range of missile threats. During the next 10 months the Alliance executed a compressed and streamlined coordination process involving several NATO Committees and the NATO Military Authorities. Yesterday, the final hurdle before starting the study analysis was taken: the Study Team selection was announced. NATO’s Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A), the Study Project leader, informed the Missile Defence Project Group on September 25 with regard to the results of the evaluation and successful bidder for the Feasibility Study Contract: the transatlantic consortium led by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), of McLean, Virginia. Other firms in the SAIC consortium are Boeing (US), Diehl (GE), EADS ST (FR), IABG (GE), TNO (NL), Raytheon (US), Alenia Spazio (IT), Thales (FR) and ACSI. NC3A assessed both the SAIC-led consortium bid and the Lockheed-Martin-led consortium bid as "very high quality"; however, the Agency determined that based on the evaluation criteria and priorities, the SAIC bid represented "the best value to NATO". This consortium will now be contracted to look at the technical feasibility, costs and timescales of a Missile Defence System based on NATO requirements. This announcement means that NATO has completed the study implementation process on time and on schedule to inform the Defence Minister who will meet in Colorado Springs on October 7-9. The contract is worth €15 M and will span a period of work of 18 months. The Feasibility Study is intended to provide the Alliance with a broad perspective on its Missile Defence options to facilitate consultations which may lead to future decisions on proceeding with such a system of systems. Welcoming this development, Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, Robert G. Bell, described the placing of the study contract as an ”unprecedentedly speedy achievement in successful transatlantic armaments co-operation”. "The contract", he said, ”will be awarded only four months after the Military Operational Requirements (MOR) were approved by the Military Committee and the Council. This proves that Alliance transformation is progressing "full steam ahead" and is "evolving now from theoretical concepts into practical and efficient capability-oriented activities". For further information please contact Mr Alfred Mikolaschek NC3A tel 0031 70 314 3080, fax 0031 70 314 2177, Mr Bernd Kreienbaum NATO HQ tel 0032 2707 4291, fax 0032 2707 4103 or Mr Denis Vandensavel NATO HQ tel +32 -2-707 7300, fax 0032 2707 4103.

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