Joint Press Release of TIPS TIPS Industries Prepare for NATO AGS Study
Members meet in Brussels to discuss NATO AGS study and increasing support from nearly 60 companies
Brussels, 09 September 2003
The Transatlantic Industrial Proposed Solution (TIPS) for the NATO AGS program continues to gain industrial momentum. Today, the TIPS group of industries comprised of EADS, Galileo Avionica, General Dynamics Canada (GD Canada), Indra. Northrop Grumman ISS International, Inc., and Thales, met to discuss the upcoming NATO AGS Study and the continually increasing support they are hearing from capitals and national industries for their proposed approach.
“We have responded to the RFQ posted by NATO NC3A and are confident that our final submission, due by November 21, will carry the weight to ultimately provide NATO with a transforming Alliance Ground Surveillance Capability,” said Tom Enders, President of the EADS Defence & Security Systems Division. “The TIPS solution offers the lowest risk program to meet the 2010 operational mandate. It is by far the most operationally effective, fully compliant and robust system solution to the NATO AGS requirement. Our mixed fleet solution of a manned mid-size jet and High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Air Vehicle (HALE UAV) offers several key advantages not found in business jets – the flexibility needed by NATO commanders to address the range of NATO operations, from Petersberg missions to Article 5 operations, and inherent growth potential to incorporate future capabilities. These advantages will be important to making NATO AGS a core component of the NATO Response Force and enabling roles for the NATO Network Enabled Capability.”
Speaking for the TIPS industries, Enders said, “The TIPS Industrial Working Group (IWG) continues to meet to discuss elements of the study phase of the program. We have signed agreements from nearly 60 industries representing countries from all across the Alliance. This points to the truly transatlantic nature of our initiative, involving key defense industries from 19 nations of Europe and North America, and offering them direct industrial participation in the program, not just offsets.”
In addition to announcing the expansion of the TIPS industries with GDC and Indra at June’s Paris Air Show, the team continues to meet with governments and industries throughout the Alliance and has found tremendous support in capitals, according to Enders.
The TIPS system of systems solution centers on a mixed fleet approach based on the Transatlantic Cooperative AGS Radar (TCAR), integrated onboard both a manned mid-size aircraft and a HALE UAV. The TIPS team represents a watershed approach to transatlantic industrial cooperation and technology sharing, capitalizing on technology developed in North America and Europe.
TIPS is a transatlantic industrial response to provide NATO with an AGS core capability that meets NATO’s Staff Requirement (NSR), is consistent with North Atlantic Council (NAC) and Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) decisions and supports NATO’s transformational capabilities objectives. AGS will be able to provide situational awareness through a shared common ground picture that will be available to NATO and national decision makers. TIPS presents the Alliance with a key component for the NATO Response Force, providing a critical capability designed to meet their Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Command and Control requirements for the 21st Century.
With revenues amounting to €30 billion (2002) and more than 100,000 employees, EADS is the largest aerospace and defense company in Europe and number two worldwide. EADS business comprises a wide experience on system integration for Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, general command, control and communications, commercial and military aircraft, helicopters, commercial launch vehicles, missile systems as well as satellites. Galileo Avionica embodies the avionics and airborne radar capabilities of Finmeccanica, Italy's largest high technologies company and national defense leader. Galileo Avionica offers systems integration capabilities and know-how, accumulated since the sixties through a process of rationalization and merging of Italian avionics systems and equipment companies.
General Dynamics Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), is Canada's largest systems integrator. It has a global reputation for providing leading edge, technology based solutions to the armed forces in over 20 countries - from NATO to the Pacific Rim. General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 64,400 people worldwide with 2002 revenues of $15.5 billion. The company has leading market positions in land and amphibious combat systems, mission-critical information systems and technologies, shipbuilding and marine systems, and business aviation.
Indra is the leading Spanish company in Information Technologies (IT) with a very active presence in the Defense market. The company, inside of the €1 billion revenue club, is structured around business areas such as: Information Technologies for civil and defense applications, simulations and automatic test equipment and defense electronic systems. Indra is deeply involved in complex and critical defense programs covering the design, development, production, integration and application for the Ministries of Defense of countries around the world. Northrop Grumman ISS International, Inc., is a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC). Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $25 billion global defense company, headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in systems integration, defense electronics, information technology, advanced aircraft, shipbuilding and space technology. With approximately 120,000 employees and operations in all 50 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the E-8C Joint STARS and E-10A MC2A ground surveillance aircraft and MPRTIP radar programs.
Thales is a world leader and front-runner in professional electronics in three key markets: Aerospace, Defence and Information Technology & Services. The Group employs 65,000 people in nearly 50 countries around the globe, and generated revenues of over €11 billion in 2002, 75% of which came from international sales. Thales Airborne Systems Business Group is a European leader for airborne mission systems, airborne radars, missile electronics and airborne, naval & ground electronic warfare systems.
News Media Contacts:
EADS:
Lothar Belz
lothar.belz@sysde.eads.net
+00 49 731 392 36 81
EADS:
Patrick Brunet
patrick.brunet@sysde.eads.net
+33 1 34 63 70 79
Galileo Avionica:
Mirta de Benedictis
debenedictis@finmeccanica.it
+39-0-64-1883719
GD Canada:
Suzanne Belanger
suzanne.belanger@gdcanada.com
+01-613-596-7059
Indra:
Susana Velasco
svelasco@indra.es
+34 91 480 9726
Northrop Grumman:
Jim Stratford
jim.stratford@ngc.com
+01-321-726-7526 or +01-321-626-5201
Thales:
Monique Navarra
monique.navarra@fr.thalesgroup.com
+33 (0) 1 34 81 40 50
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
