- Progresses commitment agreed at Paris Air Show 2023
MADRID, Spain, May 28, 2024 – Grupo Oesía, Spanish multinational dedicated to technological and digital engineering, and Lockheed Martin, the U.S. based global aerospace and deterrence company, have expanded their existing working relationship to include the exploration of opportunities to collaborate in areas of emerging technologies such as uncrewed systems, photonics and optronics.
The agreement signed by Ray Piselli, vice president international business at Lockheed Martin and Luis Furnells, president and chief executive officer, Grupo Oesía, will see the establishment of a steering committee, staffed by executives from both companies, to identify and advance specific collaborative opportunities.
It builds on a Letter of Intent signed between the two companies at the Paris Air Show last year and a separate Memorandum of Understanding signed with Grupo Oesía subsidiary Tecnobit in April this year that will see PAC-3 MSE missile parts for customers worldwide produced in Spain.
The purpose of this agreement is to provide the best products and services to the Spanish Armed Forces with technology that contributes to national sovereignty and to commonly address the European and other international markets.
The expanded collaboration will include emerging and disruptive technologies such as Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) for airborne platforms in GNSS denied environments, and photonics and optronics applications for defence and security systems.
Among the specific projects covered is worth to mention the ongoing exploration of Grupo Oesía subsidiary UAV Navigation’s Guidance, Navigation and Control solutions for potential integration into UAS platforms for advanced and resilient navigation in GNSS-denied environments.
Executive perspectives
“Industrial partnerships such as our latest agreement with Oesía play a critical role in supporting security of supply and the development of advanced systems to ensure resiliency, readiness, and deterrence, “said Ray Piselli at the signing ceremony in Madrid.
“As a strategic partner for Spain’s national defence and security Lockheed Martin is committed to expanding its relationships with Spanish industry to ensure innovation and transformation are key elements of our work with Spanish industry.”
“This relationship with the world leader in platforms and defence systems has been consolidated for more than 20 years and is based on the confidence of LM in the high qualification of the professionals of Grupo Oesía, which is the basis for having granted us the Elite Award”.
“Today, we accomplish another milestone being one of the first European companies developing disruptive technologies in a cooperative and constructive relationship with the biggest one”, said Luis Furnells, president and chief executive officer at Grupo Oesía.
A Key Partner in Spain’s Defence Industry Transformation
Lockheed Martin and Spanish industry have collaborated for decades to develop, produce, and integrate systems for the Spanish government as well as for other countries around the world.
Enhanced innovation, economic growth and strengthening of Spanish industry in the global market through exports have been key outcomes of this strategic relationship. More than $1.6 billion in industrial benefits, including £1 billion in purchase orders to Spanish industry, have been delivered.
Through this collaborative work, defence capabilities are being bolstered to meet NATO and EU requirements, streamlining the evolving needs of the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the armed forces.