New Contract Award: Expanded Production of Diamond Back Wing Assembly

New Contract Award: Expanded Production of Diamond Back Wing Assembly
New Contract Award: Expanded Production of Diamond Back Wing Assembly

MBDA Inc. Announces New Contract Award: Expanded Production of Diamond Back® Wing Assembly for Small Diameter Bomb (SDB-1)

 

Arlington, Virginia, October 30, 2017: MBDA Inc. is proud to announce a new contract award from Boeing to produce up to 21,000 Diamond Back® Wing Assemblies for the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB-1). This new contract follows a U.S. Air Force award to Boeing for additional SDB-1 production.

MBDA’s Diamond Back Wing Assembly – a key component of Boeing’s Small Diameter Bomb – features a patented tandem wing design that improves SDB’s maneuverability and extends its range to over 60 nautical miles, increasing pilot safety and expanding operational reach.  SDB-1 is an advanced precision-guided glide bomb that provides aircraft with the ability to carry a higher number of weapons and accurately strike multiple targets in a single combat sortie.

Following the announcement of the contract award, MBDA Inc.’s CEO John Pranzatelli said:

This new award is possible thanks to our strong partnership with Boeing and outstanding past performance over many years of delivering wing kits. As the MBDA Inc. Huntsville team scales up and expands our reach into the U.S. supply chain, we will continue to meet customer requirements on time and budget. In addition to Diamond Back, MBDA Inc. remains committed to introducing MBDA’s superior portfolio of precision guided munitions and advanced technology to the U.S.

MBDA Inc. has been recognized with three Boeing Performance Excellence Awards over the course of producing over 18,000 Diamond Back Wing Assemblies. MBDA produced the 20,000th unit in September 2017.

MBDA Inc. will continue assembling and testing Diamond Back Wing Assemblies at its Huntsville, Alabama facility.  MBDA Inc. is also hiring new staff and expanding its facilities to accommodate increasing demand for wing assemblies.

MBDA Diamond Back Wing Kit One-Pager

Notes to editors:

MBDA Inc. is the American subsidiary of missile systems company MBDA. With a significant presence in the United States and Europe, MBDA achieved revenue of $3.2B with an order book of $16.9B in 2016. With more than 90 armed forces customers, MBDA is the world leader in designing and producing missiles that correspond to the full range of current and future operational needs of the armed forces. MBDA offers 45 missile systems and countermeasures products in operational service, with over 15 others currently in development.

MBDA is jointly held by Airbus Group (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%), and Leonardo (25%).