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Spanish Eurofighter performs first air-to-surface weapon release

* Two GBU-16 precision-guided munitions jettisoned
* Four more trials to reach final GBU-16 clearance

Madrid / Munich, 12 May 2006

The first deliveries of air-to-surface weapons in the history of the Eurofighter programme were carried out by EADS CASA Military Air Systems (MAS) on the 4th and 5th of May. “As we have been nominated to conduct these first weapon release trials within the Eurofighter community, we are proud to announce that the next-generation combat aircraft Eurofighter is getting closer to reach the full multirole and subsequent swing-role capability”, said Pablo de Bergia, CEO of EADS Defence & Security Systems Spain, after this significant programme milestone.

For the first drop EADS CASA test pilot Alfonso de Castro took off on the 4th of May from Moron AFB. The Eurofighter, accompanied by an F-18 chase aircraft of the Spanish Air Force, made several approaches to the planned impact point in order to check the release procedures and the video cameras for the flight-test documentation. In the hot run, a GBU-16 was jettisoned from the centre pylon of the starboard wing. The following day, company test pilot Carlos Pinilla dropped another GBU-16 from the inboard pylon of the starboard wing.

The GBU-16 is a 1,000 lbs. Paveway II-class NATO-standard air-to-surface laser-guided precision bomb to be implemented by the four Eurofighter core nations Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The weapon will enter into service with the first Eurofighter Typhoon Block 5 aircraft.

Both jettison tests were completely successful and met all flight test objectives. The most prominent ones were to verify the safe separation of the stores from their pylons and the overall aircraft behaviour during and after the jettison trials. Of extreme importance was also the evaluation of the armament control system, the flight control system and the overall avionics performance during the weapon jettison sequences. To reach the final GBU-16 clearance, the programme foresees four more test sorties, to be performed by EADS CASA within the next two months.

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:
Serena di Martino
EADS CASA Military Air Systems
Tel.: +34-91-6243193
Fax: +34-91-6242753
mailto: serena.dimartino@eads.com

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