Qatar: European missile defence system purchase

European defence group MBDA has signed a contract to supply a coastal defence system for the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces, using the extended range version of the Marte missile and Exocet MM40 Block 3 missile. The deal cements a memorandum of understanding signed at the Dimdex exhibition in Doha last March to supply such a system for around €640m ($713m). In June, MBDA signed a €1bn deal to supply missiles to new Qatari naval vessels. MBDA is co-owned by Airbus Group, BAE Systems and Leonardo Finmeccanica.