Boeing Leads Formation of "Alliance Shield" Team To Support NATO’s Theater Missile Defense Capability

(I-Newswire) September 7, 2005 - Alliance Shield is an international team with demonstrated experience in design, development, integration and deployment of missile defense systems and systems of systems.The team members include BAE Systems of the U.K., Finmeccanica of Italy, Havelsan of Turkey, Lockheed Martin of the U.S., MBDA of France, Italy and the U.K., Prezemyslowy Instytut Telekomunikacji (PIT) of Poland, and Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., of the U.S.

Dr. David Martin, formerly the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's deputy for strategic relations, is Alliance Shield's strategic advisor.

In March 2005 the North Atlantic Council approved NATO's new Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence program, aimed at providing protection against the threat of ballistic missiles to deployed NATO forces. With approval of that charter, a new NATO program office was formed to procure the NATO theater missile defense capability. The contract is expected to be awarded to an industry team in 2006.

"NATO's progression from theater missile defense studies to capability requires new skills from industry," said Boeing Missile Defense Systems vice president and general manager Pat Shanahan. "In Alliance Shield, NATO will find a world-class international team with significant experience in building and integrating complex systems and working with customers to satisfy their needs. Alliance Shield provides the necessary new thinking and capabilities to support fully NATO's evolving needs. "

Boeing is the prime contractor of the U.S. government's Ground-based Midcourse Defense and Airborne Laser programs. The company also has established missile defense agreements in the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Israel, Australia and Japan.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $30.5 billion business. It provides network-centric system solutions to its global military, government, and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in sustainment solutions and launch services.

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Contact Information:
Kerry Gildea
Boeing Missile Defense Systems
(703) 414-6341
kerry.a.gildea@boeing.com

Maria McCullough
Boeing Missile Defense Systems
(703) 414-6158
maria.mccullough@boeing.com

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