ORLANDO, Fla. and MUNICH and ROME, May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Marco Riccetti has been named technical director for MEADS International (MI), the prime contractor for the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS).  Riccetti joins the program management team in Orlando from MBDA Italia S.p.A.

MEADS is a next-generation, ground-mobile air and missile defense system that incorporates the hit-to-kill PAC-3 MSE Missile, 360-degree radars, netted and distributed battle management and high-firepower launchers.  The system combines superior battlefield protection with new flexibility to protect forces and critical assets against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems and aircraft.

Riccetti has 23 years of experience in the aerospace and defense industry, including 14 in international technical/program management.  For the past five years, he served MBDA Italia as chief engineer for the MEADS program in Rome, Italy.  In this role, he was responsible for technical progress of all of MBDA's MEADS activities in Italy and was the company's primary technical interface with government and industry.  Riccetti has been associated with the MEADS program for over 13 years and previously served MI as systems engineer and as test and demonstration branch lead.  He holds a Laurea degree in electronic engineering with an information technology specialization from Universita′ di Roma La Sapienza in Rome.

Riccetti succeeds Claudio Ponzi, who was MI's technical director for the past five years.  Ponzi will return to MBDA Italia and assume a new position as sector head for Air Defense and Ballistic Missile Defense within the MBDA Business Development Directorate.  Before moving to Orlando in 2006, Ponzi was MBDA Seeker Division head of programs with responsibility for Aster, Meteor and IRIS-T.

During five years at MI, Ponzi has been a valued contributor to the success of the MEADS design effort.  He participated in the major end item and system-level series of Critical Design Review events and made significant contributions to resolving issues.  He managed a successful multi-year weight reduction program for all MEADS system elements and contributed to tri-national harmonization of various systems integration efforts.

MEADS improves capability to defend troops and critical assets through improvements in range, interoperability, mobility and full 360-degree defense capability against the evolving threat.  MEADS defends up to eight times the coverage area with far fewer system assets and significantly reduces demand for deployed personnel and equipment, which reduces demand for airlift.

MEADS International, a multinational joint venture headquartered in Orlando, Fla., is the prime contractor for the MEADS system.  Major subcontractors and joint venture partners are MBDA in Italy, LFK in Germany and Lockheed Martin in the United States.  

SOURCE Lockheed Martin