Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb MBDA Germany initiated the construction of a new state-of-the-art missile production facility at its Schrobenhausen site with a ceremonial groundbreaking The event was attended by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius Bavarian Minister-President Dr Markus Söder Luftwaffe Inspector Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz The facility will serve as a “Missile Hub,” providing a centralised location for the production and modernisation of missile systems for the Bundeswehr and NATO partners This development aims to enhance Germany’s defence infrastructure and strengthen European cooperation in defence We are aware of our responsibility and are making our industrial contribution to increasing munitions stockpiles and operational readiness The visit of the Federal Defence Minister highlights the dedication of our workforce in these extraordinary times and underscores the critical partnership between politics — MBDA Deutschland (@MBDADeutschland) November 18, 2024 MBDA has secured contracts to produce up to 1,000 Patriot GEM-T missiles under the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) MBDA is leading efforts to introduce and commission the Arrow 3 missile defence system in Germany To support these projects and future demands MBDA plans to expand its Schrobenhausen site significantly The facility will include additional production lines The company also aims to grow its workforce by 25% increasing the number of employees to over 1,700 by the end of 2025 Cookie Policy Copyright © 2025 Defence Industry Europe | mady by: geekon.eu We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns The Leipa Group will restart cartonboard production at its Schrobenhausen mill in Bavaria A Leipa spokesperson told EUWID on 11 June that preparations for the recommissioning of the board machine and the power plant were already underway At the beginning of the month, Leipa had to suspend production in Schrobenhausen as the plant was severely affected by the flooding in parts of southern Germany Most of the clean-up work had now been completed Leipa produces unlined chipboard on one machine with a capacity of around 125,000 tpy Service Customer Service+49 7224 9397-701servicenoSpam@GO-AWAYeuwid.de Editorial Team+49 7224 9397-0papernoSpam@GO-AWAYeuwid.com Get the latest news about developments and trends in the industry sent to you once a week free of charge by newsletter Sign up for our newsletter We use cookies and external services on our website others enhance your user experience or help us improve this website You can change your privacy settings any time by clicking privacy policy Necessary cookies are required for the correct functioning of the website Content from video platforms and map services is blocked by default. 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At least two people have died and another is reported missing Officials said the flooding is likely to continue for the next few days A weather system referred to as storm “Orinoco” by Germany’s Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) brought extremely heavy rain from 31 May 2024 in particular the states of Baden-Wuerttemberg and Bavaria The German Meteorological Service – Deutsche Wetterdienst (DWD) – said that some areas recorded more than a month’s worth of rain within 24 hours from 31 May 2024 During this period the village of Zeisertsweiler in Sigmarszell District of Bavaria recorded 135 mm Kißlegg in Baden-Württemberg saw 130 mm and Bad Wörishofen recorded 129mm Further storms and heavy rain were expected Multiple rivers broke their banks in the two states Danube and Isar all reached above the level 4 (highest) warning levels in several locations Several dam breaks and dyke failures were also reported including in Augsburg District and in the district of Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm where around 800 people have been evacuated from the town of Baar-Ebenhausen the biggest concerns were levels of the Danube River and its tributaries According to the Bavarian State Office for the Environment the Danube was above the level 4 warning in 11 locations The Amper at Inkofen and the Paar at Manching and Mühlried were also above the level 4 warning A state of emergency was declared in several districts and cities in Bavaria the list included the districts of Günzburg The cities of Straubing and Regensburg were also included Authorities were called on to carry out rescues and evacuations At least twelve people were rescued from balconies and roofs in Günzburg using a police helicopter According to the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior 3,000 people have been affected by evacuations including in the districts of Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm Evacuations were also carried out in Baden-Württemberg As many as 1,300 people were ordered to evacuate homes in Meckenbeuren Evacuations were also carried out in Ebersbach an der Fils a train carrying around 180 passengers was derailed due to a landslide on the tracks near Schwäbisch Gmünd Tragically the floods have resulted in fatalities A firefighter died when a rescue boat capsized in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm Three other firefighters in the boat were able to pull themselves to safety German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on expressed his condolences “The death of a firefighter in Pfaffenhofen has shocked me,” he said adding that his thoughts were with the firefighter’s relatives and colleagues Another firefighter was reported missing in similar circumstances in Offingen A second fatality was reported after rescuers found the body of a person reported missing in a flooded basement of a building in the town of Schrobenhausen As of 03 June there were also unconfirmed reports of a flood-related fatality in Baden-Württemberg “I have just been informed that we must also expect that there is now a death in Baden-Württemberg,” the state’s Interior Minister Thomas Strobl told press during a visit to the municipality of Erbach An employee of an energy company suffered serious injuries after he was electrocuted in a flooded area in Allershausen Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker 2024last updated 06/03/2024last updated June 3 2024A firefighter was killed when the rubber dinghy he was riding on capsized during severe flooding and at least two people are missing in south Germany as the region braces for more rainstorms This update blog is now closed. For the latest on flooding in Germany, click here. 06/03/2024June 3, 2024Mass school closures across BavariaBavaria's Ministry for Education and Culture announced the cancellation of in-person classes at over 40 schools in eight districts across the state on Sunday evening. The closures will be in effect for the coming week in the districts of Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Aichach-Friedberg, Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, Freising, Fürstenfeldbruck, Dachau, Dillingen und Augsburg, where elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as technical schools, nurseries and kindergartens will be closed due to flooding. 06/02/2024June 2, 2024Immediate evacuations ordered along the Danube as dams weakenRegional authorities ordered the "immediate evacuation" of several villages in Bavaria's Donau-Ries District along the Danube and Schmutter rivers Sunday evening.  The Donauwörth District Administration said the decision — affecting the villages of Auchsesheim, Heissesheim, Nordheim, Mertingen, Asbach-Bäumenheim and Urfahrhof — had been prompted by a "massive weakening" dams in the area.  Authorities advised residents to, "remain calm, pack necessary items and documents, and follow the instructions of emergency services crews at the scene."  The District Administration's website also informed residents that emergency shelters had been set up for those who could not stay with friends or relatives. 06/02/2024June 2, 2024Senior citizen and nursing home on the Donau evacuated A Bavarian senior citizen and nursing home on the banks of the Danube has been evacuated as floodwaters continue to rise across the region Sunday evening. The city of Lauingen announced the decision on its website after closely monitoring the situation throughout Saturday and Sunday, saying it had been taken to ensure the long-term care of residents in the more than 100-bed facility. Residents will be temporarily housed in a nearby educational center. 2024More heavy rain forecast for southern Germany on Sunday and MondayThe German Weather Service (DWD) on Sunday forecast more heavy rain across southern Germany on Sunday and Monday after several municipalities in the region received more rainfall in 24 hours than they normally do in one month Especially heavy rain is expected in the Stuttgart region on Sunday, with thunderstorms and heavy rain forecast for an area stretching from the Alps as far north as Saxony Overnight storms are expected to hit an area extending from the Black Forest in the southwest, across the entire south of Germany to the Bavarian Forest bordering Czechia to the east. More of the same is on tap for Monday with the DWD warning that some areas could expect up to 40 millimeters (1.6 inches) of rain per square meter within an hour's time.  The DWD said that on Friday, Kisslegg in Baden-Württemberg received 130 millimeters of rainfall per square meter within 24 hours, and Bad Wörishofen in Bavaria received 129 millimeters per square meter during that same time. Average monthly precipitation in each for May stands at 118 and 101 millimeters per square meter respectively. 2024Rescue operations underway in Bavaria as water levels continue to riseRescue crews are continuing their efforts for a third day as heavy rains drench southern Germany and force thousands to be evacuated DW spoke with several locals about their experience Germany floods: Amid disaster, cleanup efforts beginTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 06/02/2024June 2, 2024Chancellor Scholz expected to visit flood zone on MondayGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to visit southern Germany on Monday to meet with local leaders and view affected areas firsthand News agency AFP cited government sources when it reported the plan On Sunday, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck traveled to Bavaria, where he joined State Premier Markus Söder in Reichertshofen, which was especially hard hit. 06/02/2024June 2, 2024Flooding disrupts train services and AutobahnA dam collapse has prompted the closure of a 50-kilometer (31-mile) stretch of the A9 Autobahn between Ingolstadt and Munich according to police in Upper Bavaria Police say they have never experienced such flooding in the area and offered no information as to how long the road would be closed only advising residents to stay clear of the area to keep themselves safe and not hinder rescue operations Train operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) also issued several updates on Sunday, among them an announcement that train services in southern Germany would remain limited on Monday, June 3. DB said travelers who had purchased tickets for Sunday and Monday would be allowed to use these at a later time.  DB did not give details as to the extent of the disruptions or how long they may last, simply advising travelers to avoid traveling in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg until the situation improved.  06/02/2024June 2, 2024Bavarian Interior Ministry: 3,000 evacuated so farA spokeswoman for Bavaria's Interior Ministry on Sunday said 3,000 residents had been evacuated from their homes as floodwaters inundated the southern German state, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily newspaper.  Currently, more than 20,000 emergency services workers are involved in search and rescue efforts across Bavaria. More than 40,000 have been deployed since flooding began on Friday. The Defense Ministry said on X, formerly Twitter, that around 800 soldiers had also been deployed. 06/02/2024June 2, 2024Evacuations in Günzburg as Danube floods parts of cityRescuers were working to evacuate people from the city of Günzburg, roughly halfway between Munich and Stuttgart, amid rising levels of the Danube River. "Several parts of our urban area have been flooded. People are being rescued in boats and helicopters from their houses and apartments," Mayor Gerhard Jauernig wrote in an online post. He urged Günzburg residents to stay at home, follow the instructions given by rescuers, and keep off the streets to facilitate the evacuation effort. "Curious onlookers and disaster-tourists are hindering the life-saving efforts and could have deadly consequences," Jauernig wrote. The level of the Danube in the German city has risen nearly three meters (9,84 feet) since Friday, according to data cited by Augsburger Allgemeine paper. 06/02/2024June 2, 2024Another firefighter missing in Bavaria's OffingenRescuers were searching for a 22-year-old firefighter in the Bavarian town of Offingen after he went missing overnight. Similar to his colleague in Pfaffenhofen, the man was taking part in the evacuation effort and was on a rubber boat with several other people when it capsized. Police representative Holger Stabik disputed the rumors of the man's death. "We have no confirmation of a body being found," Stabik was quoted as saying by Bavarian daily newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine. A helicopter has been deployed to help the search. 06/02/2024June 2, 2024Söder: 40,000 rescuers fighting the floods in BavariaWith floods escalating in southern Germany, Bavarian Premier Markus Söder said 40,000 were deployed in his state alone. "The most important thing is to organize the replacing (of rescuers) in the coming hours," he told reporters. "The longer you work without being relieved, the greater the danger of mistakes, of exhaustion, and then the danger of death and injury is more imminent." Söder is visiting one of the affected towns, Reichersthofen, together with Economy Minister Robert Habeck. The Bavarian premier said he expected support from the federal government both in terms of funding and manpower. 06/02/2024June 2, 2024Two dams break in Bavaria's PfaffenhofenTwo dams on the river Paar, a tributary of the Danube, broke near the Bavarian town of Pfaffenhofen an Ilm, local officials said on Sunday. Local residents were advised to abandon the ground floors of their homes and climb to higher levels of buildings. The news of the dams breaking comes just hours after a firefighter was confirmed dead in the same town. A spokesperson for the firefighting service said the ongoing flood was unprecedented in the Pfaffenhofen region. The local village of Reichertshofen has been flooded, he added. "There is nothing more we can do, we have to sort of give up," he said, but added the firefighters were still in control of protecting human life. 2024Chancellor Scholz says rescuers owed 'gratitude and respect'German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was saddened by the death of the firefighter in Pfaffenhofen "We owe gratitude and respect to rescuers and helpers who are fighting against the flooding in multiple locations," Scholz said on X, formerly Twitter. "My thoughts are with his family and colleagues," he added. 06/02/2024June 2, 2024Germany's railway operator DB warns against travel in flood-hit areasTrains have been canceled and delayed across southern Germany as the region struggles with flooding and landslides. A spokeswoman for Deutsche Bahn (DB) said several connections to and from Munich, Stuttgart and Augsburg were affected. This includes cancelations between Munich and Berlin, Munich and the Swiss metropolis of Zurich, as well Stuttgart and Frankfurt. "We advise against traveling to areas affected by flooding in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg," the company said. On Saturday, two railcars of an intercity express train derailed in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg after a landslide caused by heavy rain. None of the 185 passengers onboard were injured. 06/02/2024June 2, 2024German politicians praise courage of lost firefighter, set to visit affected areaFollowing the news of the firefighter losing his life on duty, Germany's Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck described the incident as "terrible." He added that the courage shown by both volunteer and professional rescuers "is not to be taken for granted." "We should always be grateful that these people exist," he said The premier of Bavaria, Markus Söder said that "all of us are grieving" after the firefighter's death "His deployment and efforts to help other people will always be remembered," he said in an online post Both Premier Söder and Vice Chancellor Habeck who also serves as the economy minister and is charge of climate action are expected to visit the town Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm As MBDA looks towards the future of deep strike weapon technology JACK RICHARDSON reports from the pan-European missile house’s facilities in Germany as well as the Complex Weapons Innovation and Technology Partnership conference in Edinburgh With the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas not to mention tensions in the Indo-Pacific region the need for modern and effective deep strike weapon systems One of the major players in this is pan-European missile house MBDA who recently hosted a media visit to their facilities in Germany The trip encompassed a tour of MBDA’s main German facility near Schrobenhausen Conspicuous at the MBDA facility was a model of the Taurus stand-off cruise missile a product reportedly high on the list of weapons wanted by President Zelensky to help repel the Russian invasion Taurus missile undergoing flight trials aboard a German Eurofighter (All images via MBDA unless stated)According to MBDA full integration of the Taurus (which has a range of over 500km and a 480kg warhead) on Ukrainian aircraft could be done in as little as 12 months Spain’s EF-18 Hornet and South Korea’s F-15K Slam Eagle the first two have also signed contracts to fit it to their Eurofighter Typhoon fleets Managing Director of Taurus Systems described the missile as “basically a bunker buster weapon.” the reason for Ukraine’s interest is apparent An animation at the briefing depicted Taurus being used to destroy not only hardened targets but aircraft on an open airfield in airburst mode This is a weapon with a clear roadmap for the future with plans for a two-way datalink and artificial intelligence for the seeker adding to innovative features such as the swept wing extending range by up to 10% Ukraine’s hopes for Taurus received a major setback in mid-January when the German Parliament overwhelmingly voted against a non-binding proposal to supply the missiles to Kyiv – by 485 to 178 it has been reported that the UK government has offered a missile swap where Germany would deliver Taurus to Britain which then would pass surplus Storm Shadows on to Ukraine Final approval for either proposal rests with German Chancellor Olaf Schulz Although approval for Ukraine to receive Taurus has yet t be given the nation is already fielding the Storm Shadow/SCALP with great effect are currently proving popular and valuable manufacturers all over the world are looking several steps into the future - and MBDA is no different the company hosted the Complex Weapons Innovation and Technology Partnership (CW ITP) conference in Edinburgh The city’s International Convention Centre was filled with models of MBDA products for the event including the Future Cruise Anti-Surface Weapon developed (in both stealthy sub-sonic and faster variants) for the UK and France the purpose of this event was to look beyond these forthcoming solutions at advanced technical projects Director of Defence Science and Technology at the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory will: “Do things that are going to make a difference.” This biannual event brings together players from the UK and French defence industries With an annual budget of up to €10m allocated by MBDA for developing innovative solutions in the field of complex weapons the UK and France have agreed for the project to run until at least 2025 The latest installment featured over 300 delegates from across the CW ITP which has over 150 members drawn from academia larger firms and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) the purpose of CW ITP is to improve military advantage up to 2040.” In order to demonstrate the high-tech nature of the projects being pursued the keynote addresses were preceded by computer animations of aircraft carrier strike groups operating around 2040 The flagship is seen launching a (most likely) sixth generation fighter aircraft which proceeds to carry out an attack against a heavily defended land installation Before depicting the aircraft firing its missiles the video zooms in on Distributed Antennas for GNSS Anti-Jam (DAGA) a system of GNSS antennas distributed around the aircraft to improve anti-jamming capabilities which MBDA has developed with Swansea University demonstrating how the technology can assist targeting and mission planning The CW ITP is divided into five Enduring Technical Areas (ETAs) including:• Mission Systems and Algorithms• Seekers• Lethal Package• Propulsion• Materials Also featuring in the CW ITP are its ‘disruptors’; disruptive technologies that go beyond the incremental step changes of the ETAs outlined the importance of this pillar: “We’re looking for step change mostly outside of complex weapons that maybe we can exploit within this area really move us forward.” These take place over a shorter timeframe with a smaller budget and has examples including work by the University of Southampton on Double-Sided Silicon Metasurface Optics which looks to develop novel silicon metasurface lens concepts SCALP loaded below the wing of a Dassault Rafale demonstrator Breaking down the service MBDA provides to its end user Verzotti described six ‘missions’: Tactical strike he cited the Storm Shadow/SCALP missile as a successful MBDA collaboration in this field he added that the next generation deep strike systems require improved mission planning what you are doing is opening the way to do it.” several examples of technological projects to enable hypersonic weapons were demonstrated in presentations across the ETAs sits the Hybrid Starter for High Altitude Ignition led by French company Pyroalliance (part of Ariane Group) This scheme examined the feasibility of utilising an alternative to ‘spark plug’ ignition motors which struggle to function above 40,000ftdue to the extreme temperatures The hybrid starter operates with an oxidiser pushing rocket fuel through a turbine in order start it Early tests show that this has enabled ignition at high altitude for applications such as future cruise missiles While safety can be enhanced through a separation of components utility can be limited by the volume of the oxidiser tank Hypersonic speeds not only demand technology to enable numbers exceeding Mach 7 but materials to ensure the weapons can withstand this level of pressure UK SME Lucideon limited has partnered with both the UK and French arms of MBDA to explore novel materials the project looked how ‘flash sintering,’ a process utilising a direct electrical field and electrodes to join different materials Meteor missiles first entered service on the Swedish Air Force's JAS 39 Gripens in April 2016.Whereas CW ITP exclusively showcased UK/France cooperation MBDA subsidiary Bayern-Chemie was founded in 1969 and has developed a broad portfolio to include early work on airbags in 1971 the production of solid fuel engines for German and European Patriot missiles systems from 1987-96 and even hypersonic demonstration The latter was discontinued in 2003 due to the perceived lack of a market for such technology After becoming a full part of MBDA Germany in 2008 Bayern-Chemie started serial production of the motor for the Meteor Beyond Visual Range Ai-to-Air Missile in 2012 the unique selling point for the Meteor is its “air breathing system.” A large device for mixing propellent is controlled via remote-control from a room at Bayern-Chemie Over a process which takes one working week starting with safety checks on a Monday through to conclusion on a Friday 2 tons can be produced in the course of a single batch As countries look to enhance their munition stockpiles the company has the capacity to scale up to two or three shifts per week With this non-mass production process currently in place Bayern-Chemie’s assembly of the Meteor motors is currently done by hand fins and other components are attached to the propellent charges using an electronic system to track exactly which employee is handling which part at any given time to ensure the safety of the process which concludes with automated 3D measuring the product is painted and xrayed (the latter to ensure its integrity) The site also contains facilities for the development of future products a demonstration displayed for the guests to show how new formulae can be made to suit the evolving customer need with experiments in smokeless propellent to reduce the chances of missile launches being detected It was explained that developing an entirely new mixture can take up to ten years existing combinations can have their compositions altered although this can still take two to five years In the full process of developing a propellent after which this is scaled up to 10kg for further tests reporters were taken to part of the site called ‘ramjet city’ where one in every 100 ramjet motors produced by Bayern-Chemmie is tested in a dugout with a concrete deflector The Joint Fire Support Missile programme is creating an intelligent guided missile for Germany The following day saw a visit to MBDA Germany’s main site near Schrobenhausen where delegates were addressed by Thomas Gottschild He painted a picture of a company facing increased demands in the context of the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East Germany has allocated €100bn to bolster its weapon stockpiles which he cited as a major opportunity for MBDA in addition to taking advantage of Germany’s strengths in research the company is also facing a key set of challenges including difficulties recruiting enough skilled personnel to fulfil MBDA’s commitments and issues in the supply chain Gottschild added that the German arm of the company faces the challenge of increasing amounts of regulation “other nations don’t have this and they will immediately have a competitive advantage if they don’t follow the same rules as we do so we need to have a level playing field at the end of the day.” a growth strategy aims to establish the Schrobenhausen facility as a ‘missile house’ “Having this flexibility so that the customer has direct access to the missiles and doesn’t need to ship them around the world everything can be done in Schrobenhausen,” according to a Business Development Executive One of MBDA Germany’s main projects is the Joint Fire Support Missile First unveiled at the 2022 ILA Berlin airshow this missile aims to meet Germany’s Future Long-Range Indirect Fire System requirement The missile has a range of up to 499km,whilst being compatible with a range of launchers including the EuroPulse and America’s M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System deep strike systems face a range of challenges This is something the JFSM looks to address through a capability to deploy decoys to distract defensive systems The same executive added: “We have a ground or air launched long range effector specific for a target on land with a warhead inside we have an electronic component to use it as a decoy or a jammer.” Adding to its versatility the JFSM will be deployable not only from the land but also via airborne and maritime platforms SPEAR 3 is currently planned to be integrated on the RAF's Eurofighter Typhoon F-35B Lightning and possibly Tempest.As the MBDA tour drew to a close the company’s capabilities were displayed in physical form The foyer of the site had a model of several systems including the network enabled SPEAR 3 standoff weapon and its proposed Electronic Warfare variant alongside the ‘Small Highly Adaptable Remote Carrier’ Alongside the growing emphasis on countries restocking their armament stocks while planning for the future of their military forces governments from all over the world have a common refrain to their economies and this is that there has to be increased emphasis (and spending) on research there was a strong impression of a growing eco-system to enable this CW ITP took the opportunity to give out awards to notable projects The best innovation was won by LASDARA in ETA 3B (lethality) a project to ensure the safety of mini-missile launchers The best collaboration went to MITILIR (ETA 2A EO seekers) and the best overall was one by MIME In the words of Dr Nick Joad to the delegates “you have to turn the political rhetoric into reality.” Alongside the ETAs is “a way of responding within a finite time window to an emerging global context.” The inaugural CW ITP dynamic challenge was in the ‘application of AI to complex weapons’ while the latest is ‘inspiration from nature.’ During his address Joad also asked delegates the question of their organisation: “Is it as efficient and effective as it can be?” This is a message MBDA appears to be taking to heart as well by consolidating its operations through the ‘missile house’ concept whilst working hand in glove with its subsidiaries partner companies and ultimately customers Although challenges remain in areas such as regulation and recruitment of key people multi-national setup were physically visible in the form of the Meteor missile the system: “Was only possible by bringing together the best ingredients from across MBDA and across Europe.” Following on from lessons learned in Ukraine making every weapon count has taken on a new sense of urgency RICHARD GARDNER reports from MBDA’s new Digital Battlespace Facility at its UK headquarters as part of one of the largest missile attacks since the war started Russian MiG-31 Foxhounds launched six hypersonic Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles against Ukrainian targets in Kyiv RICHARD GARDNER MRAeS asks how these new weapons ca.. Four years on from the reveal of the UK’s ‘Tempest’ sixth-generation fighter project at Farnborough TIM ROBINSON FRAeS catches up with progress on a future air combat system that is not only becoming more international but is rapidly shifting the wo.. A Shropshire junior football team received a European visitor at the weekend as part of celebrations to mark 30 years of a twinning arrangement Bridgnorth and the German town of Schrobenhausen were twinned three decades ago with Bridgnorth marking the anniversary last year and its twin hosting celebrations between June 23 and 25 this year the chairman of Schrobenhausen's twinning committee met the Bridgnorth Spartans on Saturday The under 17s of the side are set to play in Schrobenhausen in June said: "Many of the team have missed out on school trips due to Covid so we have the opportunity to give them a once in a lifetime opportunity by playing a tournament out there." The tournament with a number of Schrobenhausen teams are only part of the celebrations planned to take place in June as a contingency from Bridgnorth is to head to the German town to take part in a host of activities to mark Schrobenhausen official signing of the twinning agreement 30 years ago on June 23 Both towns are also twinned with Thiers in France chairman of the Bridgnorth twinning Committee said: "Bridgnorth has organised many twinning activities between our three twin towns including very young school children painting colourful banners for display in the streets of Thiers "Mr Siegl came from Germany to discuss his town's forthcoming 30th anniversary celebration of links and friendships with Bridgnorth and have talks with the chairman of the Spartan's football club regarding possible regeneration of the football matches between the football clubs." A group of Salopians have just returned from Germany after taking part in the celebrations of their Shropshire town and its two European twins Bridgnorth was twinned with both Thiers in France in 1978 and Schrobenhausen in Germany in 1992 and a festival celebrating the three towns' links takes place each year marked 30 years since the twinning charter was ratified by the town councils of Schrobenhausen and Bridgnorth members of the Bridgnorth Twinning Association went to Schrobenhausen to join in with the twinning celebrations Their visit coincided with a trip by the town's junior football team, the Spartans, who also went to Schrobenhausen for the twinning celebrations and to play local side SV Stiengriff the Bridgnorth group had a guided tour of Schrobenhausen famous for its white asparagus and the portrait painter Lenbach – he once painted a portrait of Bismark who was wearing his full military regalia said: "We also toured the local town of Ingolstadt with an option of a trip to their Audi Museum "The gothic architecture and huge churches are a sight to behold and the traditional Bavarian buildings are so different from our own architecture." the Bridgnorth contingent were treated to a traditional Bavarian feast of schnitzel "After the meal we enjoyed spending time at the Schrannenfest – an annual festival with local live music serving German beer in enormous beer Steins," said Fran "On Sunday there were formal speeches from the mayors of Schrobenhausen Stéphane Rodier and Bridgnorth former mayor She added that gifts were exchanged between Bridgnorth and Schrobenhausen to commemorate the 30-year anniversary and consolide relations in years to come Fran said: "It was wonderful that Helen Howell being the mayor 30 years ago when the charter was signed a founder member and long-standing chairman of the association "The twinning association are now already looking forward to the visit to Thiers next summer We also hope to host a rugby team from Thiers in the autumn "We are keen to welcome new members to join the association for an annual membership fee of only £10 per year – a small price to pay to foster new friendships with our European allies." Anyone interested in joining or finding out more about the Bridgnorth Twinning Association can Fran at franspicer9@gmail.com southern German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg June 2 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains have caused catastrophic flooding in southern Germany prompting the evacuation of over 600 people from their homes Continuous rainfall over several days has caused water levels to rise in several rivers in Germany leading to widespread flooding in coastal cities and towns Water levels in many areas have reached their highest levels in a century The two southern German states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg are the hardest hit 10 districts in Bavaria have declared a state of emergency with over 670 residents of the district Neuburg-Schrobenhausen being evacuated The German Weather Service has issued the highest level of severe weather warnings for several districts in southern Germany In the city of Meckenbeuren of Baden-Wuerttemberg some 1,300 people were also asked to leave their homes due to the risk of flooding 2024 shows a flooded area as the water level of the Danube river has risen in Ulm Vehicles wade through a flooded road in Babenhausen MBDA Germany officials revealed additional multi-domain applications for its lightweight which is due to enter full-scale production for the Bundeswehr During an international press event at its Schrobenhausen facility in Bavaria MBDA Germany officials confirmed that the Enforcer missile system is due to enter full-scale production for the Bundeswehr before the end of the year Please check your mail inbox to download the buyer's guide you acknowledge that GlobalData UK Limited may share your information with our partners/sponsors who may contact you directly with information on their products and services Tick here to opt out of curated industry news Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address Initially, the Bundeswehr awarded the company a contract for the acquisition for some of these fire-and-forget missile systems in December 2019 to fulfil the procurement agency’s requirement for a lightweight shoulder-launched weapon system with an effective range of more than 1,800 metres the Enforcer operates within the first capability field – meaning that the system is primarily used as an anti-drone missile system MBDA’s head of sales and business development campaigns and international business revealed that the company had successfully executed a customer demonstration The whole Enforcer system – including the munition launch tube and sight – weighs less than 12kg The modular design of the Enforcer system allowed for the integration of an alternative fire control sight (FCS14) a direct view optic manufactured by the Swedish supplier Aimpoint the Enforcer missile itself has a diameter of 89mm and weighs less than 7kg The missile makes use of a correlation tracker to follow stationary or static targets the missile employs two sensors – infrared (IR) and TV – in pursuit of its target Now that the programme is due to enter full-scale production the milestone also marks the company’s ambition to set-up an Enforcer family of systems by adapting the weapon to meet air and sea applications as well as land MBDA confirmed that it has successfully completed flight tests for an air-launched version but have yet to develop the product the company has also come up with an anti-tank concept that is designated the ‘Enforcer X’ which is currently under development according to Jochen Dehner MBDA Germany’s Managing Director Thomas Gottschild emphasised the company’s adaption and development approach to its systems pointing that the company is “filling the gaps in [the Bundeswehr] added that “innovation is where the capability [is already] there Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network TDW has currently started producing thousands of original PARMs partly to replenish the Bundeswehr inventory Germany having provided its mines to Ukraine and partly to be directly delivered to Ukraine The company is currently working five days a week on one shift the rate of production remaining classified the current mine has undergone minor changing to cope with obsolescence but remains the same system developed by then Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) in the early 1980s During the visit to Schrobenhausen in November 2023 EDR On-Line learned that a modernised version of the PARM was under development the main difference being the triggering sensor “We are integrating a new sensor in place of the original trigger wire the new item being provided by a third party; it gives us a better capability to discriminate targets as it allows to determine the trigger point when to fire something the original optical cable could not do This sensed a tank running above it and triggered the warhead but could not distinguish how far the tank was while the new sensor can feel this and trigger the weapon at the best point in time,” Andreas Seitz “The second feature that we implemented is a radio remote control; it allows us to arm and make safe the PARM NextGen as many times as we want,” he added as it allows to deploy a smart minefield ahead of defensive positions which remains safe until the last friendly vehicles have not withdrawn then being activated to stop enemy advancing units activating at different times mines hitting front and rear vehicles The remote control comes in the form factor of a personal role radio fitted with a short antenna; it is very simple and has three main pushbuttons the latter to override the automatic firing function of the sensor It can operate “several hundred meters” from the mine Each radio control can activate a maximum of three mines; to become operative the mine safety pin must be inserted in one of the three slots available on the control and transmits only for very short periods of time which together with the low output power minimises the risk of being detected and then jammed The PARM NextGen control is based on an open system architecture which means that the mine can be integrated into any current or future tactical effector management system allowing for example to manage smart minefields made of several dozen mines The PARM NextGen has an effective range of 60 metres and retains the 128 mm diameter single shaped charge warhead of the original PARM “We are having very good feedback from Ukraine,” Andreas Seitz stated explaining that “we did a lot of analysis and we found that this was the most cost-effective solution,” cost and ease of production being key parameters therefore it hits the lower part of the tank which is usually not the most protected one Compared to the original mine the PARM NextGen has 30 days of autonomy rather than 40 due to the fact that the new sensors package consumes more energy compared to the previous one as wake up systems for the infrared sensor,” Mr adding that the weapon might reach the 45 days limit imposed by international regulations however in that case the battery could not be fully integrated in the rear module that contains all the electronics “Once the time limit is reached the PARM NextGen is made completely safe and I mean not unarmed but completely safe,” the company MD underlines TDW did its best to limit as much as possible the changing in order to keep cost under control and to facilitate manufacturing by maintaining as many components as possible common to both versions EDR On-Line understood that the main module which is different is the one at the rear of the weapon The new system will require some qualification work which should take a relatively short time as many of the components are already qualified Many elements were already part of the company portfolio such as the safe and arm device that is considered at TRL 8/9 TWD considers it can multiply by two or three the current rate “We still have two days in the week and can move from one to two or even three shifts,” Andreas Seitz underlines adding that add-on personnel might be hired training to be done by experimented workers the main issue being to make them safety and quality minded safety being a key element when dealing with energetic materiel First deliveries of the PARM NextGen are scheduled for late 2026 which is consistent with the delivery of the newly manufactured PARM Indo Defence – Jakarta – 11-14 June DSEI – London – 9-12 September PARTNER – Belgrade – 23-26 September Seafuture – La Spezia – 29 Sept.-2 October ADEX – Seoul – 29 October-2 November Dubai Air Show – Dubai – 17-21 November Milipol Paris – Paris – 18-21 Novenber Expodefensa – Bogotá – 1-3 December Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" In a strategic measure to strengthen its competitive position Leipa is planning to reduce its production capacity for recycled graphic papers investments at the Schrobenhausen mill will be adapted to the market environment The manufacturer of recovered fibre-based graphic papers said that operation of the older PM 1 at the Schwedt site will be discontinued by mid-2024 Production will focus on the technologically more advanced PM 4 The closure of PM 1 will affect around 100 employees Leipa is currently holding consultations with employee representatives The closure of the PM 1 is part of Leipa's strategy to streamline operations Another measure affects the Schrobenhausen site where investment volumes will be adapted to the current weak market environment The company stated: "Leipa is taking proactive measures in a challenging market environment characterised by declining demand for graphic papers a weak economy and the impact of political decisions in Germany and the EU The adjustment and optimisation of production capacities is essential in order to remain a reliable business partner and employer in the long term." Content from video platforms and map services is blocked by default. If access to these services is accepted, separate consent is no longer required when using them. You can find more information on the individual external services in our privacy policy To see the asparagus museum as nothing more then a wacky collection about an arbitrary vegetable is to deeply misunderstand Germany's deep connections to the slender green vegetable For in Germany the asparagus is not simply the "vegetable that makes your pee smell funny" as it is known in the U.S. but is the "königliche Gemüse" or "royal vegetable." and written about with great reverence by Roman writer Marcus Porcius Cato and was later cited in a Roman book of recipes in 300 A.D or at least any reference to its cultivation not showing up again in print until 1100 A.D In 1565 asparagus or 'spargel' appeared in a catalog of plants in the German Prince's pleasure garden referred to as "delightful fare for lovers of food." Germany had officially begun its love affair with the asparagus Available only to the nobility for many years the asparagus became appropriately known as the "royal vegetable," but by the mid 1800s it had become available to the average German the asparagus season or "Spargelzeit" is a massive event in Germany focused largely around the towns of Schrobenhausen Almost every restaurant changes its menu to include multiple asparagus dishes and in Schwetzingen an asparagus king or queen is crowned based on the 'size of their asparagus stalk.' They also have a statue of the much admired "Spargelfrauen" the women of the asparagus fields The asparagus museum extends this asparagus celebration to an all year round event Three floors of 15th century tower are dedicated to asparagus art and curiosities" all focused around the asparagus The museum even has an Andy Warhol painting of asparagus While the museum can indeed be visited year around when the locals eat asparagus at least once a day A small museum dedicated to the whimsical tool that turns sugar cookies into works of art The nearly 120-year-old piece of pork wears a brass collar and was once a man's "pet ham." This art center is way beyond your average pumpkin-carving operation One woman's decades-long obsession with the "La Fée Verte." This sprawling collection hides many charms More than 5,000 contemporary and "historic" mustards from around the world If you have any questions about your subscription to "Europäische Sicherheit & Technik" EDR On-Line was invited along other European defence media to a visit to MBDA Deutschland the German arm of the European Missile company which is fully involved in the design and production of company system as well as cooperating with several international partners on other missiles MBDA Germany headquarters are based in Schrobenhausen some 75 km north-west of Munich; the location also hosts most of the research and development as well as production facilities the MBDA subsidiary specialised in warheads Some 80 km east of Munich we find the home of Bayern Chemie which is specialised in missile propulsion EDR On-Line was given the opportunity to visit both sites in late October where passive radar seekers for the RAM system are produced Overall MBDA Germany has a work force of around 1,300 employees MBDA Germany also holds 50% of RAM-System GmbH the remaining 50% being equally split between Diehl Stiftung and Diehl BGT Defence a joint venture in charge of the programme management and marketing of the Rolling Airframe Missile MBDA Deutschland controls 67% of the shares of Taurus Systems GmbH that developed and produced the Taurus cruise missile the remaining 33% being held by Saab Dynamics AB Taurus having also a daughter company in the Republic of Korea Hereafter EDR On-Line readers can find the report on the many topics developed during the two-day visit to the Bavarian facilities of MBDA Deutschland