European Defense Industries Dassault Aviation, Thales and Indra Submit a Joint MALE UAV Offer with Israel Aerospace Industries to the French and Spanish Ministries of Defense
Jun 5, 2008
European defense industries Dassault Aviation (France), Thales (France), Indra (Spain) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will hold a joint press conference on Friday, June 6, 2008, in Paris, France, to announce the submission of a joint offer to supply IAI-made Heron TP MALE UAV to the French and Spanish Ministries of Defense.
At the press conference in Paris, the following executives will address the reporters:
Mr. Charles Edelstenne - Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, Mr. Denis Ranque - Chairman and CEO of Thales, Mr. Regino Moranchel - CEO of Indra, and Mr. Yair Shamir – Chairman of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
On May 22, 2008, the companies Dassault Aviaition, Thales and Indra have submitted an offer to the French and Spanish Ministries of Defense for a UAV MALE system to be developed within the framework of Franco-Spanish cooperation. This competitive offer would match the operational needs of both countries, and allow the supply to both Armed Forces of long endurance UAVs for theatre surveillance within a very short timeframe. The first system could be operational as early as the end of 2012.
The proposed solution entirely fulfills the requirements of both countries by taking into account the current budget constraints while addressing operational needs with a comprehensive high performance mission system, integrating leading technologies. The solution is based on the HERON TP UAV developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is a new generation multi-mission platform, whose design benefits from 30 years of Israeli experience in the domain of UAVs.
This joint offer capitalizes on strong industrial capabilities acquired in Europe and also covers the technical and managerial skills needed to succeed in such a partnership – aerospace, mission systems, systems architecture and complex systems management. The solution is based on extensive expertise, long lasting cooperation, and is backed by a strong and solid industrial team.
About Dassault Aviation
In the past sixty years, Dassault Aviation has delivered more than 7500 civil and military aircraft to 75 countries, logging some 20 million-flight hours to date. This unique worldwide experience has allowed Dassault Aviation to build up considerable expertise in the design, development, production, sale and support of all types of aircraft and a recognized and demonstrated know-how, innovative operational solutions, as well as a pragmatic and dynamic approach to co-operation to the world of UAVs. Within the frame of a step-by-step approach initiated several years ago, its know-how in the field of systems technologies and airborne vectors allow the company to propose the best cost-efficient solutions to the users. Thanks to a pragmatic approach in its partnerships, Dassault Aviation has been able to establish a wide cooperation network with other companies, which is not only optimized for the success of today’s programs, but also contributing to the synergy of tomorrow’s European defense industries.
About Indra
Indra is the premier Information Technology Company in Spain and a leading IT multinational in Europe and Latin America. It is ranked as the second European company in its sector according to stock market capitalization, and it is one of the three Spanish companies with more investment in R&D. In 2007, revenues exceeded € 2.167 M, of which a third came from the international market. The company employs more than 24.000 professionals and has clients in more than 90 countries. In the defense market INDRA is the Spanish company leader in the sensors development and integrated defense systems and military satellite communication systems, and which is more important is the first Spanish company responsible of the delivery of the only operational UAV system in Spain (PASI). Indra is as well the Spanish leader in ISTAR systems after developing systems like SOSTAR, and participating in the most important international programs: AGS and TCAR.
About Thales
Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defense, aerospace and security markets worldwide. Thales’ leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. To this end, the group’s civil and military businesses develop in parallel and share a common base of technologies to serve a single objective: the security of people, property and nations. The group builds its growth on its unique multi-domestic strategy based on trusted partnerships with national customers and market players, while leveraging its global expertise to support local technology and industrial development. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2007 revenues of €12.3 billion.
About Israel Aerospace Industries
Israel Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (IAI) is Israel's largest industrial exporter and a globally recognized leader for the defense and commercial markets. IAI provides unique and cost-effective technological solutions for a broad spectrum of needs in space, air, land, sea and homeland defense, including: maintenance and conversion of commercial aircraft, unmanned air and ground vehicles, radars, secure communications, AEW, EW, ELINT/ESM, SIGINT and COMINT/COMJAM, air-to-air refueling, upgrading of military aircraft and helicopters, Anti-Tactical Ballistic Missiles (ATBM), optronic payloads, navigation, smart weapons, missiles, commercial satellites and launchers, mine detection, clearing and breaching systems and many other core technologies, products and services.
IAI's sales for FY 2007 totaled $3.3 billion compared to $2.8 billion in 2006, an 18 percent increase. $2.7 billion (82 percent) of these sales are for export.
For further details please contact:
Doron Suslik
Deputy Corporate Vice President for Communications
Telephone: 03-935-8509
Fax: 03-935-8512
Email: hpaz@iai.co.il
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