September 14, 2007: Industry
forecasts see growing demand for anti-aircraft missiles over the next ten
years. The expected demand is for nearly 80,000 missiles, costing over $20
billion. The market is dominated by Raytheon (a U.S. firm) and MBDA (British),
who, together, sell some 40 percent of all anti-aircraft missiles. Russia,
whose anti-aircraft missiles have a spotty track record, is still expected to
grab 5-10 percent of these sales. Russia sells cheaper missiles, and there are
still cost conscious buyers out there.
A major factor in sales over
the next decade is the demand for anti-missile missiles. There are more
expensive, and tend to get upgraded rapidly (and at considerable expense.)
