FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2001
2001 - 2077.PDF
PARIS 2001 omplementary capabilities on the Euro- ijzhter, Tornado, maritime patrol aircraft Germany and Italy operate the Dassault itlantic and have a joint competition to eplace the type) and Boeing E-3 Sentry. These complement each other and, there- ore, strengthen the company and widen he portfolio. It gives us more solutions to he customer's needs, and an in-house system of systems' approach," he says. n-service support Military aircraft support - including repair iverhaul, modification and upgrade work . is one such area. EADS' German arm pro vides in-service support for most German iir force in-service platforms, including the (SK MiG-29 Fulcrum, Tornado, Atlantic ind McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom as veil as performing some work on the NATO •-3 fleet. The position is similar in Spain; he company supports Spanish air force Soeing F/A-18 Hornets and Northrop F-5s. Alenia has similar activities in Italy. "We vant to build on this, strengthening the ;ervice business," Wirtz says. The advan- ages are obvious, for both moving work iround to maintain steady throughput ind concentrating work on one type in a iingle location. Servicing and support now account for around 40% of EADS Military Aircraft revenue, and Wirtz says this figure is likely to grow with new types such as Eurofighter as more customers turn to industry for sup port rather than creating national capabili ties within the air force. Industry can consolidate work on the four Eurofighter partner nations' aircraft in one place which increases efficiency, while a national capa bility will support only a handful of air craft. Training provision is similar, says Wirtz. He says it is possible to change the system because of the shift in the nature of military operations. In the last 20 years, many European air forces have par ticipated in conflicts, but the 'homeland' has not been threatened so industry has continued to function normally. The market outside EMAC's four home nations presents "a big challenge and a big opportunity", says Wirtz. Sales of aircraft such as Eurofighter and Mako will allow this business to grow. He adds that the EMAC/EADS size is such that it can now compete against the US foreign military sales process, which packages support and training with equipment sales. Exports are only successful if a company has a local presence, such as ownership of local industry or joint ventures, he suggests. EADS has followed this strategy EMAC will control the majority of the Euro fighter project once the joint venture is formed recently with a bid to buy part of Patria Industries in Finland - where NH Industries, a joint venture between Eurocopter, Agusta and Fokker is competing to supply the NH90 helicopter - and the acquisition of Hawker Pacific in Australia. The country has a raft of competitions under way, including Air 87 for attack helicopters for which the Eurocopter Tiger is being bid. Aerostructures will continue to be a significant part of EADS' Military Aircraft business, as such work provides a stable foundation, evening out fluctuations from systems-based businesses, says Wirtz. It also allows the swapping of production techniques and technology between the military and commercial sectors. Military Aircraft provides aerostructures for EADS Airbus and vice versa. Combining work for military and commercial programmes allows better use of expensive machinery and keeps factories operating at efficient levels, which reduces costs for both sides, Wirtz says. "EMAC's aerostructures volume worldwide as a tier-one supplier will be number one or two globally. We will com pete for work from all commercial aircraft manufacturers," he says. As well as Airbus and Boeing, regional jet manufacturers such as Embraer and Fairchild Dornier are also seeking competitive suppliers. • kl - V \ \ "ww.f liqhtinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 12-18 JUNE 2001 61
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
