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Dornier Flugzeugwerft GmbH receives support contract for P-3C Orion

* Comprehensive system support for the Navy’s new maritime patrol aircraft
* Commissioning of DFW strengthens the EADS Military Air Systems Center in Manching

Manching / Munich, 12 May 2006

Dornier Flugzeugwerft GmbH (DFW) has received the contract for the system support of the P-3C Orion CUP (Capabilities Upkeep Programme) for the German Navy's eight maritime patrol aircraft. The consortium of DFW with Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH (ESG) and the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) signed a contract today, Friday, May 12th, 2006, for the system support of the P-3C Orion CUP. The consortium submitted the most cost-effective bid for the support of the P-3C Orion. As the system support company within the joint venture with ESG, DFW assumes the role of authorized representative.

“We have positioned ourselves well for the P-3 Orion support and are confident that, being integrated in the military aeronautics centre in Manching, we have the optimal framework at our disposal,” stated Dietmar Schrick, Head of EADS Military Air Systems' support activities and Managing Director of DFW, at the signing of the contract. "Thanks to many years of experience in the system support of mission aircraft such as the Breguet Atlantic and the NATO E-3A AWACS, DFW is in the best position to meet the Navy's requirements with regard to supporting the maritime patrol and antisubmarine system P-3C Orion."

DFW will be responsible for the pivotal system support tasks such as maintenance, technical logistic support and development engineering support, as well as for the Type Inspection Office which acts as the connecting point between military certification and the Bundeswehr Technical Centre (WTD) 61, also in Manching. In addition, DFW will head the materiel management for the P-3C Orion fleet.

DFW will mainly perform the aforementioned tasks in the Military Air Systems Center Manching. DFW is setting up a branch office at the Naval Air Wing (MFG) 3 "Graf Zeppelin" in Nordholz for support services, on-condition system maintenance and spare parts supply.

As part of the technical logistic support (TLS), DFW will update the documentation and adapt the inspection procedures to meet the conditions of the Navy. ESG will manage the TLS activities for the majority of the CUP-specific devices of the P-3C.

In future, the entire spare parts supply for the P-3C Orion CUP will be based on a modern materiel management concept from industry. In this way, DFW shall be responsible for providing wear and replacement parts for flight operations in Nordholz and for the Dornier Aircraft Service Center in Manching. Within the scope of this concept, ESG will be responsible for the maintenance of all replacement parts.

The eight aircraft, which are currently still located at the Dutch base Valkenburg, are to be moved from the MFG 3 "Graf Zeppelin" by the end of June of this year.

With regard to the maintenance of the aircraft, the first scheduled maintenance work in Manching is expected to be carried out as early as July. The first industrial major overhaul is planned to begin in October. DFW personnel already received maintenance training in Germany and the USA. DFW's certification as an aeronautical operations and systems company providing type-specific product support for the P-3C Orion is being prepared and will enter into force after the contract has been concluded.
Development tasks will arise at short notice when the client demands full flight capability according to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).

A considerable percentage of value added from the system support contract for the P-3C will benefit small and medium-sized, domestic companies. This corresponds with the client's interest in obtaining a high national value added ratio as well as defence capabilities and key qualifications.

EADS Military Air Systems (MAS), the centre of competence for all manned an unmanned airborne weapons systems within EADS, is an integrated business unit within the EADS Defence & Security Systems Division (DS).

EADS Defence & Security Systems, with revenues of about € 5.6 billion in 2005 and roughly 23,000 employees across ten nations, forms the defence and security pillar within EADS. DS is a market leader for integrated system solutions (Large Systems Integration – LSI) to meet the new challenges of the Armed and Security Forces. It is active in the areas of manned and unmanned integrated combat and mission air systems, including related training services, and in missile systems, battlefield management systems for all branches, global security solutions, secure networks, defence electronics, sensors and avionics as well as related services.

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2005, EADS generated revenues of € 34.2 billion and employed a workforce of about 113,000.

Contacts:
Wolfram Wolff
EADS Military Air Systems
Tel.: +49-89 -60725711
Fax: +49-89 -60722455
mailto: wolfram.wolff@eads.com