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OCCAR and Thales sign Tiger 236 million euros simulator production contract

20 April 2005

The contract calls for the supply of complete simulation facilities for Tiger aircrews at the EFA French-German Tiger training centre in Le Luc, France, and four operational units in France and Germany.

OCCAR* and Thales have announced the signing of a production contract, worth 236 million euros, for Tiger combat helicopter simulators. The contract was signed in Bonn, Germany, on 16 March 2005 in the presence of representatives from Rheinmetall Defence Electronics GmbH, Thales' German partner for the programme. It calls for the supply of eighteen training simulators - nine full-flight mission simulators and nine trainers - plus associated support systems and an option for a further eleven simulators.

These facilities will be used at the École Franco-Allemande (EFA) (joint training centre for French and German Tiger pilots) in Le Luc, Var (southeast France) and in the operational regiments in Germany (Fritzlar and Roth) and France (Pau and Étain), to train Tiger combat helicopter aircrews. Around 60 French and German pilots will be trained each year at EFA, before being assigned to their operational units, where they will continue to benefit from the contribution of simulation in their regular ongoing training. Both in terms of their simulation accuracy and their tactical training capabilities, these combat helicopter simulators are the most advanced in the world, making it possible to perform up to 75 percent of the training flight hours using simulators.

This success follows the Tiger simulator development contract, signed in October 2000 and including an initial delivery of four simulators to the EFA training centre. The development phase enabled to validate the selected training concept, as well as the high levels of performance and realism of the Thales simulators.

Deliveries will take place over a period of six years. The first simulators will be delivered to the EFA training centre in 2006, with subsequent deliveries to the operational regiments in Germany (Fritzlar and Roth) and France (Pau and Étain).
Furthermore, the Group is currently developing four Tiger simulators for the Australian Army. Delivery is scheduled for early 2006.

This latest success confirms Thales' leadership in combat helicopter simulation.

* OCCAR: Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armement (Joint Armaments Cooperation Organisation)

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