On 27 December 2022, the FSAF/PAAMS Programme Division achieved the second major milestone of the In Service Support (ISS) contracts renewal, by signing the new ISS#3 contract with EUROSAM, MBDA & THALES for a duration of 5 years (from 2023 to 2027).

Therefore, from the 2nd January 2023, and in line with the previous ISS agreement, the Prime Contractor and his partners have been given renewed responsibility for the supply of Spares and Repairs for the SAMP/T, PAAMS, SAAM/IT, SAAM/FR systems and ASTER munitions, on behalf of OCCAR EA.

With regards to the current geopolitical context, France and Italy have required a higher commitment from industry, with the implementation of some new dedicated activities/services in order to support the increased operational demands on the systems. The FSAF-PAAMS PD was also able to negotiate an additional work package with THALES, to facilitate a contractual upgrade to increase the MRI (Module Radar Identification) operational availability.

The last and equally as important FSAF/PAAMS ISS milestone will be the COTS & Services framework contract, open to European SME (Small to Medium-sized Enterprises) competition, to be signed by August 2023.