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EADS Socata will retrofit the Xingu avionics of the French Military Air Transport Flight School

A 14.2 millions euros contract which will enable to train future military transport crews in a modern cockpit environment

Aéro-Club de France, Paris, 29 January 2007

EADS Socata announces today at a Press Conference the notification by the French military procurement agency (DGA) of a contract for the Avionics retrofit of the fleet of Embraer Emb-110 Xingu of the French Military Air Transport Flight School, based in Avord.

This contract of a maximum value of 14.2 millions euros over 5 years, is divided in two installments. The first installment is a firm contract for the study and the retrofit of two Emb-110 Xingu, one of the French Air Force and the second of the French Navy, to a more modern avionics standard. Its main features are an electronic primary flight and multifunction displays, GPS and a mode S with diversity antenna transponder.

Upon the success of the first installment, the second installment will consist in the supply of avionics kits to retrofit the remaining 39 Emb-110 Xingu.

In service since the end of the seventies for the French Air Force and the French Navy, the Embraer Emb-110 Xingu is operated to train military transport pilot, flight engineers and navigators from France and some participating countries.

“We are very proud to have been selected to offer to the future military air transport crews, including certainly the future pilots for the A400M, a more modern cockpit to better prepare them to their future working environment. This is the third military contract awarded to our Customer Service division in the last 18 months. The first one was the Full MRO contract for the TBM military fleet in December 2005, and the full maintenance contract for the training aircraft fleet of Cognac military flight school won in April 2006 in partnership with EADS.” stated Stéphane Mayer.

EADS Socata is one of the world’s leading general aviation manufacturers, with more than 17,000 aircraft built since its creation as Morane-Saulnier in 1911.

Current products include the TBM family of high-speed turboprops, TB GT piston aircraft, aerostructures for Airbus civil airliners, the A400M military transporter, Dassault Falcon jets, Eurocopter helicopters and Embraer regional jets.

EADS Socata is expanding its customer service activities, to support its growing fleet of TBM and offer its light aviation expertise for aircraft below 5,7 t, through avionics modernization, maintenance, repair and overall package offers. Headquartered in Tarbes, France, with North American operations in Pembroke Pines, Florida, EADS Socata is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS – a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services.

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