Bidders join forces for future strategic tanker aircraft (FSTA)
15 June 2001
Five leading aerospace and defence companies have joined forces to form AirTanker, to bid for the UK Ministry of Defence’s £9bn Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) program. The consortium includes the European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company (EADS), Rolls Royce, Cobham, Brown & Root Services and Thales. The FSTA program is to be a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) to replace the RAF’s ageing VC10 and TriStar tankers with a complete air-to-air refuelling and air transport service provided by industry. AirTanker’s proposal will be based on the latest generation of Airbus wide-bodied aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines.
Thales Defence's extensive activities encompass communications, air defence, sensors, optronic systems, naval systems and avionics. Combined global revenues of Thales (formerly Thomson-CSF) are close to 8.2 billion. The new enlarged company employs 65,000 people worldwide; 50 per cent are based outside France, including 14,500 in the UK with a turnover of 2 billion.
Rolls-Royce plc is a global company providing power on land, sea and air. It has 55,000 aero engines in service in over 150 countries, and is also global leader in marine power systems. Its customer base includes more than 500 airlines, 2,400 corporate and utility operators, 160 armed forces, 2,000 marine operators and more than 30 navies. It is involved in many future programmes, including the engines for Eurofighter Typhoon and Joint Strike Fighter, and the WR21 marine engine.
Brown & Root Services is a global provider of government project services. It employs 20,000 people in the Americas, UK, Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific and offers programme management, engineering, operations, maintenance and logistics services for programmes anywhere in the world. Brown & Root Sevices is the majority shareholder in the company that owns Devonport Dockyard and in joint venture with Marshall Aerospace provides aircraft engineering, supply and support services at RAF Valley, North Wales. Brown & Root Services is a unit of Halliburton Company.
Cobham plc designs and manufactures equipment, specialised systems and components supplied primarily to the aerospace, defence, industrial and communications markets - and operates, maintains and modifies aircraft, particularly in relation to special mission flight operations.
EADS was formed on July 10, 2000 following the merger of Aerospatiale Matra of France, Daimler Chrysler from Germany and Construcciones Aeronauticas from Spain. EADS is the third largest aerospace company in the world. It has approximately 87000 employees.
Press contacts
Thales
Nick West
Tel.: 33(0) 1 53 77 86 26
Rolls-Royce
Gary Atkins
Tel. : 44 (0) 1332 248389
EADS
Eduardo Galicia
Tel. : 34 91 585 7114
Brown and Root Services
Ken Beedle
Tel. : 44 (0) 1372 866622
Cobham
Peter Crowle
Tel. : 44 (0) 1202 409109
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