Sarah Young and Andrea Shalal write the U.K. military’s need for maritime surveillance aircraft could open up a multi-billion dollar competition among MSA manufacturers.
Robin Southwell, Airbus Group‘s U.K. CEO, has said the company seeks to offer a version of its C-295 MSA to the U.K. military.
Airbus would also like to partner with British suppliers to meet the nation’s surveillance needs, according to Young and Shalal.
Another potential MSA offering to the U.K. military could be Boeing‘s (NYSE: BA) Poseidon, which the company recently showcased at the Royal International Air Tattoo event and Farnborough International Airshow.
The U.K. government announced last week it plans to invest more than $1 billion in intelligence, surveillance, target, acquisition and reconnaissance systems.
Reuters reports that more than 30 U.K.-based aircrews have been deployed for maritime surveillance training in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Canada.