The UK MoD and French DGA MCM-ITP (Materials and Components for Missiles - Innovation & Technology Partnership), which was launched at the end of 2007, is an R&T programme focussed on missile technologies managed by MBDA, in partnership with key French and British companies in the sector (Thales, Selex, Roxel, Microturbo, QinetiQ, Nexter). The programme has been launched for a minimum of three years, with an option to extend to five years.

The MCM-ITP aims to consolidate the European Guided Weapon capability by strengthening the technological base and allowing better understanding of common future needs. The goal is to mature a portfolio of cutting-edge technologies, which hold the promise of major advances but which today are still at the laboratory stage.

The MCM-ITP is aligned into eight technical domains, each of which led by an MCM-ITP Consortium industrial partner. The programme is funded equally by the governments and the industrial partners and is composed of research projects on innovative and exploratory technologies and techniques for future missiles. There is a strong participation from SMEs and academia.

After the launch of three tranches of studies in 2008 and early 2009, the MCM-ITP now comprises more than fifty research projects involving about a hundred French and UK participants, of which close to 30% are from SMEs and academia. Additional tranches will be launched in late 2009 / early 2010.

With an annual flow of about 14M€ of research work, MCM-ITP is expected to become the cornerstone of future collaborative research and technology demonstration programmes for European defence.

Download the 2010 MCM ITP Handbook