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EADS awards Grob Aerospace and Sogitec Industries contracts to supply training devices for the French Air Force Training School

* Best equipment selection for France’s future military pilots at Cognac
* High-quality training with economic value

Paris, 30 August 2006

EADS Military Air Systems France has awarded Grob Aerospace and Sogitec Industries contracts to supply training aircraft and ground-based training devices for the French Air Force Flight Training School in Cognac. Thus the French Air Force which currently trains its pilots with TB 30 Epsilon aircraft will operate 24 upgraded TB 30 Epsilon combined with additional 18 Grob 120A aircraft for the training of its pilots in the future.

The industrial cooperation is based on a contract with the French Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded to EADS Military Air Systems and EADS Socata on 19 April 2006 for the management and support of "ab initio" pilot training for the French Air Force. The multi-services Cognac contract between the French MoD and EADS covers a timeframe of five years with the option for a ten year extension. It includes the procurement of new aircraft, line and base aircraft maintenance as well as ground-based training devices including flight simulators, and integrated logistics support with supply-chain management plus infrastructure handling.

Grob Aerospace will supply 18 Grob 120A aircraft and initial support, with options for additional aircraft. The Grob 120A is designed with a twin-seat, side-by-side cockpit, and with a retractable undercarriage. It is certified for aerobatics and for flying under Instrument-Flight Rules (IFR) and is powered by a 260 horsepower Lycoming piston engine. With these features, the aircraft is particularily suited for the “ab initio” training of future military pilots.

Sogitec will provide three FNPT II (Flight and Navigation Procedure Trainer 2nd Generation) patented training devices, adapted to the the Grob 120A specifications, and relevant support. The FNPT II ground-based training systems will help the French Air Force Flight Training School to carry out most of the pilots’ IFR ground training, in compliance with European legal standards. They will be equipped with a high-definition visual system allowing the student pilots to be introduced to visual flying techniques at low altitude.

The first Grob 120A will be delivered in early 2007, according to the contract´s terms. Deliveries then will continue at the rate of two aircraft a month. The Sogitec FNPT II will be delivered in 2007. The contract calls for the first Grob 120A and the FNPT II training devices to be operational on the Cognac Air Base before the middle of 2007.

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). With revenues of about € 5.6 billion in 2005 and roughly 23,000 employees across nine nations, DS forms the defence and security pillar within EADS. As a Large Systems Integrator, it offers integrated systems solutions to the new challenges confronting armed forces and global security. 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.

The German company Grob was founded in 1926 by Dr. Ernst Grob. At that time, it specialized in the manufacture of internal combustion engines. From 1971 onward, it also began to specialize in the production of gliders, becoming one of the best training aircraft manufacturers with Grob 115, and continuing with Grob 120A, dedicated to aerobatics. Today, Grob training aircraft are used in renowned military flying academies such as those of the Royal Air Force, the German Air Force, the United Arab Emirates Air Force, the Israeli and the Canadian Armed Forces.

Sogitec Industries is a French company and a 100% subsidiary of Dassault Aviation. It has developed a vast expertise in two important aeronautical areas: instruction and training simulation, and documentation and logistics. Since 1992, Sogitec Industries is in charge of the instruction of technicians and pilots from Dassault Aviation and from national and foreign customers, such as the French Air Force, the French Navy, the Belgian Armed Forces, and the international export clients of Dassault Aviation. The company has a long-time partnership with the EADS Defence & Security Systems Division.

Contacts
Claire Allanche
EADS Defence & Security Systems
France
Tel.: +33 (1) 3463 7745
mailto: claire.allanche@eads.com

Wolfram Wolff
EADS Defence & Security Systems
Tel.: +49 (0) 89 607 25711
mailto: wolfram.wolff@eads.com