MBDA and AXISCADES have announced, a strategic engagement to establish a Centre of Excellence (COE) for Test Benches in Bangalore. The COE will enable MBDA to establish a reliable platform to roll its Make In India initiatives. AXISCADES Aerospace & Technologies Private Limited (AXISCADES) has undertaken built-to-spec and built-to-print assignments on Test Benches for MBDA since 2018. AXISCADES has delivered multiple generations of Test Solutions towards MBDA’s MICA Missiles and Missile Launchers. For the past ten years, AXISCADES has been engaged with MBDA as prime Indian Offset Partner. AXISCADES has established the required infrastructure, tools, processes, resources and the industrial eco-system and is performing the activities in compliance with DPP 2016 which in turn has enabled MBDA to deliver the offset obligations, year on year, diligently. Taking the relationship to the next level, AXISCADES is now establishing a Centre of Excellence for Test Benches dedicated to MBDA. This COE will cater to the global Test Solution needs of MBDA including but not limited to MICA but also other Missiles and platforms. The COE will be set up at AXISCADES’s new premises coming up at Aerospace Park near Bangalore’s Kempe Gowda International Airport. The premises will host a state-of-the-art Test Bench laboratory, equipment, instruments, stores, tools along with skilled/trained resources. The COE is spread across 42,000 sq.ft. single floor plate and will be able to undertake simultaneous activities on design & development and production of multiple test benches in parallel to meet the global requirements on schedule, quality, scale and cost optimisation. Inaugurating the facility located at the KIADB’s Aerospace Park near Kempe Gowda International airport, Dr S Ravinarayanan, Chairman, AXISCADES Technologies Limited, told that “AXISCADES comes with a strong pedigree in Test Solutions and the COE with MBDA is a powerful testimony for our leadership in the Test Solutions domain. Our journey with MBDA has been very strong and will grow stronger. We plan to undertake many more critical activities with MBDA which will place AXISCADES as a significant Offset, Indigenization cum Make In India partner to MBDA” Inaugurating the facility along with MBDA’s senior management team, Florent Duleux, Group Director- Export Sales, MBDA mentioned that “MBDA is totally satisfied with the test benches designed and manufactured by AXISCADES - their performance meets our high standards, and the systems have always been delivered on time and on budget. This is the first reason why we wish to extend and expand our partnership with AXISCADES. The establishment of Test Bench COE further strengthens our relationship and is a significant step forward to enhance our future Make In India objectives.” AXISCADES is also supporting MBDA for the Depot Level Maintenance of the Missiles Launchers fitted on the Indian Air Force’s Mirage & Rafale and supplying ground support and ground handling equipment.