LONDON, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- France and England announced plans to jointly develop an anti-surface missile for use with the British Lynx Wildcat and the French NH90 and Panther helicopters.
Announced at the Defense Systems Exhibition International taking place at the ExCeL Center in London, the British and French governments will invest approximately $58.4 million in a joint assessment phase. Under the cooperative deal the two countries will develop new technologies for a next-generation helicopter-launched anti-surface missile.
The weapon system is expected to be used with the British Lynx Wildcat and the French NH90 and Panther platforms for operations in the naval environment.
"This announcement demonstrates our commitment to deepen the cooperation between our two countries, particularly where requirements are closely aligned, as they are in this case," Quentin Davies, minister for Defense Equipment and Support, said in a statement.
"By bringing together industry expertise from across the nations we are strengthening our technical knowledge, allowing us to equip our forces with the best highly-advanced anti-surface missile for them to use for years to come."