Airbus : European missiles group MBDA wins 400 million sterling UK deal

PARIS (Reuters) - European missiles group MBDA has won a 400 million pound contract with the British government for its Brimstone air-to-surface missiles, MBDA said on Tuesday.

MBDA will manufacture new Brimstone missiles for the UK Armed Forces, which will use them for the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon fighter aircraft and in future for the RAF’s new Protector RPAS and new Apache attack helicopters.

Airbus and BAE Systems both have 37.5 percent stakes in MBDA, while Italian group Leonardo owns 25 percent of the company.

MBDA vies with Lockheed Martin of the United States for position as the world's second largest missiles maker after Raytheon, according to industry analysts.

MBDA head Antoine Bouvier also told reporters on Tuesday that the company expected tougher competition for contracts under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, as MBDA reported a dip in orders for 2017 compared to 2016.

(Reporting by Cyril Altmeyer; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)

Stocks treated in this article : Airbus SE, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Raytheon, Leonardo, BAE Systems