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EADS Socata selected for the maintenance of the French Military TBM fleet

The contract with a value of up to 56 million euros over 8 years has been awarded for the follow-on support of the TBM 700 aircraft operated by the French military.

Tarbes, 01 February 2006

EADS Socata announced today that it had been selected to provide the follow-on support (FOS) for the fleet of TBM 700 operated by the French Ministry of Defense. This contract will come into force today and will run for 8 years.

This contract continues a successful relationship of more than ten years following an initial support contract awarded in 1996 for the French Army Aviation and CEV (National Test Center) fleet, followed in 2002 by a second contract for a total of 28 TBM 700 (19 Air Force TBM 700As, 5 ALAT TBM 700A and 3 TBM 700Bs plus a TBM 700A operated by CEV).

EADS Socata won this new contract after a 9 month procurement process carried out by the “integrated structure for support of the aeronautical equipment of the French Ministry of Defense” (SIMMAD). The contract will provide full integrated support on a “power by the hour” basis (including technical support, spare parts and repairs) for a maximum amount of 56 million euros over 8 years.

“I’m particularly proud of this success which allows us to continue to provide to our customer service he is expecting. Our customer’s operational criteria have been carefully analyzed to provide a solution that exactly meets their needs.” said Stéphane Mayer, chairman and CEO of EADS Socata.

“The French Ministry of Defense was already convinced by our capability to ensure high fleet dispatch reliability, but they can now see that we can follow and provide answers to their cost requirements.” added Nicolas Chabbert, Vice President Customer Service. “This 8 year contract will give EADS Socata better long-term visibility to support requirements and will stimulate continued investment in advanced maintenance technologies such as Internet access to maintenance status. In the near future, Commanding Officers will know in “real time” the availability of their aircraft, enhancing their effectiveness and simplifying dispatch management.”

“We must thank all personal involved from the French Ministry of Defense for their trust.“ concluded M. Mayer.

EADS Socata is one of the world’s leading general aviation manufacturers, with more than 6,000 aircraft flying in 65 countries. The company continues a tradition initiated by Morane-Saulnier in 1911, which includes the MS 760 ParisJet – the world’s first business jet. Today, EADS Socata manufactures the TBM family of high-speed turboprops, along with the TB GT range of piston touring and training aircraft. It also produces aerostructures for use on Airbus aircraft (including the new A380 and A400M military transport), the Dassault Falcon 7X, Eurocopter helicopters and Embraer regional jets. The company is headquartered in Tarbes, France, and its North American operations are located Pembroke Pines, Florida. EADS Socata is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS – the second largest aerospace and defense company in the world. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the MBDA joint venture, the international leader in missile systems. EADS is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.

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