Interview with Klaus Riedel, Executive Programmes Director and member of the management board of LFK GmbH

11:42 GMT, May 16, 2008 The ground-based tactical air defence system MEADS (Medium Extended Air Defence System) provides protection to troops in out of area deployments as well as site protection within national defence environments. MEADS can be employed against all air targets including cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles. Within the MEADS programme Germany, Italy and the United States undertake the joint development of a mobile air defence system that will replace the Patriot system in the United States and the Nike-Hercules air defence assets in Italy. Germany will initially integrate MEADS into its Patriot air defence environment and will then gradually replace Patriot by MEADS. The transatlantic MEADS programme was subject of an interview between Thomas Meuter, Editor and military expert of the German “Behörden Spiegel” magazine, and Klaus Riedel, Executive Programmes Director and member of the management board of LFK GmbH.


Thomas Meuter, BS: What is the present state of the MEADS programme?

Riedel: In May 2005 the contract for the development of MEADS has been concluded. Since, work on the ground-based air defence system is making good progress and all milestones have been accomplished. The Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs) for MEADS’ “Major End Items” and the System PDR have been successfully completed.

Currently, the detailed design operations for the Critical Design Review (CDR) are being carried out and will be completed at the end of 2008 on the mainframe level; the System CDR is planned for 2009. A first successful CDR on subsystem level has already taken place. The current state of affairs of the design operations and the producibility of the transceiver modules (T/R modules) for the fire-control radar have been reviewed and approved of by the main contractor MBDA Deutschland/LFK with assistance of the NATO MEADS Management Agency (NAMEADSMA).
The modules are key elements for the new generation of radar systems, based on AESA technology (Active Electronically Scanned Array). Instead of a mechanical array steering AESA radars employ an electronic steering supported by thousands of T/R modules providing a globally unparalleled performance and flexibility. The modules’ complexity as well as their mission critical significance makes the T/R module contract one of MEADS outstanding work packages.

Thomas Meuter, BS: What do you consider to be the most important challenges for the MEADS programme?

Riedel: The various challenges are complex and of different quality. Firstly, it has to be mentioned that the MEADS effort has succeeded in bringing into agreement the operational and technical requirements of three nations for an extended air defence – an “air and missile defence system” for the 21st century. This has furthermore been framed as “International Common Operational Requirements” (ITDR) from which results the joint “International Technical Requirements Document (ITRD)“. This document creates the basis for the successful coalescence of our international and cross-national teams.

After almost three years of intensive and successful planning and development we have completed the PDR on the total system level for our largest development programme. We achieved to demonstrate to our customer that our basis draft is so mature that we can render our work more precisely on this foundation. This has been officially endorsed in writing by Dr. Steven L. Messervy, General Manager of NAMEADSMA. We now want to keep up the successful work. We approach the point of transition from the “paper” phase to the real hardware and software. That means, we now have to prove, that we will be able to meet the high expectations of our customer in the future. Every member of the MEADS team is dedicated to ensure that MEADS will comply with our customer’s requirements.

Thomas Meuter, BS: How do you assess the co-operation with your partners in Italy and the United Stated?

Riedel: The so far achieved success is due to a joint top-class development team of three nations. The European MEADS team consists of developers from LFK and MBDA Italy. They accomplish technically sophisticated work and are esteemed for their expert knowledge and work results. Today, MEADS is a prominent model for the transatlantic co-operation in development and NATO’s most eminent transatlantic co-operation project.
The fact that the MEADS programme is organised as an integrated team makes the co-operation with colleagues abroad much easier. It is good that we share a common vision of the promotion of European interests with our Italian colleagues.

Thomas Meuter, BS: Could you please display the co-operation with your customer, the NATO MEADS Management Agency?

Riedel: From my point of view, the co-operation between the NAMEADSMA and industry is goal-oriented and good. I consider the Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to be the most important panels in which the basis for MEADS’ performance and quality is being originated. All parties, namely the NAMEADSMA member states, the NAMEADSMA itself as well as industry, agreed from the very first that a certain development risk with such a complex programme comprising forward-looking technology cannot be completely excluded. So far, all risks known could be dominated by intensive teamwork between NAMEADSMA and industry. Both sides have manifested their will to continue this successful co-operation in the future.

Thomas Meuter, BS: What significance does MEADS have for Germany?

Riedel: There are two important aspects for Germany. The development programme of MEADS ensures German high-technology in the fields of system technology, radar technology and battle management software (BMC4I), as well as overall 450 high-tech jobs at EADS, LFK and with German medium-sized suppliers. The work packages of the development phase that are assigned to German industry secure the preservation of the national system know-how in the fields of ground-based air defence. In the long run, German development and production capacities will be maintained during the transition into the procurement phase by the prospects of national and export orders.


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The original German text has been translated by Nicolas von Kospoth.