The Medium Extended Air Defense System designed to replace the Patriot system reportedly achieved "outstanding" results in a recent comprehensive system demonstration.

MEADS International -- a consortium composed of MBDA in Italy and Germany, and Lockheed Martin in the United States -- said the testing by German and Italian military personnel took place over two weeks in Italy under representative combat conditions.

Among the achievements: using plug-and-fight technologies that enable automatic integration of disparate system elements into a single super-system, MEADS rapidly attached and controlled an external Italian deployable air defense radar to track air objects and supply a common integrated air picture around the demonstration area.

Using an external sensor and track data provided via a Link 16 data-exchange network, MEADS engaged a simulated cruise missile and other threats simultaneously, selecting the best launcher for target engagement, the company said.

Interoperability with German and Italian air defense assets was demonstrated.

"The outstanding result is that we have demonstrated the full range of advanced network capabilities that only MEADS can provide," said MEADS International Executive Vice President Volker Weidemann. "These ground-breaking capabilities are ready to be carried forward to meet national needs."