CONSORTIUM TO ACT AS PRIME CONTRACTOR FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE BULLE OPÉRATIONNELLE AÉROTERRESTRE IS CREATED

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CONSORTIUM TO ACT AS PRIME CONTRACTOR FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE BULLE OPÉRATIONNELLE AÉROTERRESTRE IS CREATED
14 June 2004 - Sagem Communication

Following the announcement made by the French defence minister Ms. Michèle Alliot-Marie about the launch of the Bulle Opérationnelle Aéroterrestre demonstrator, the major players in the French defence land systems industry have agreed to create a consortium to act as prime contractor for the programme. The Thales-led consortium will include Giat Industries and Sagem, and work in partnership with MBDA and EADS.

The consortium is proposing to the French defence procurement agency to become prime contractor for this demonstrator and to coordinate industry partners from European countries who wish to join the ambitious project. One of its objectives is to provide better interoperability between French medium air-land forces and their allies.

The French procurement agency's advanced study programme for BOA will prepare the future cooperative fighting system concept for French land forces.

BOA introduces new concepts of network-centric warfighting that will be critical to the success of future land forces missions. It ties together all the assets in the air-land theatre, including armoured vehicles, radars, UAVs and infantry soldiers, to increase the operational tempo, improve protection of units on the ground, and allow commanders to be in control in all situations.

The system satisfies a capability requirement for rapid out-of-area deployment of a light force equipped for a broad range of missions, particularly in urban areas.

The technology demonstrator will undergo operational testing in a collaborative engineering and operational procedures laboratory, or Battlelab, by armed forces staff, the French procurement agency and the industry partners.

The consortium and its partners possess all the key competencies required in areas including sensors and information processing, communications, vehicles, UAVs, unmanned ground vehicles and weapon systems. The consortium will draw
on additional expertise from high-tech SMEs and research institutes.

Thales is an international electronics and systems group, serving defence, aerospace, services and security markets. The Group employs 62,000 people worldwide and generated revenues of 10.6 billion in 2003.

Giat Industries, reference system house for land combat systems, has acquired unrivalled expertise in all the components of modern air-land systems : protection, command, mobility, fires, and support. Giat Industries generated revenues of 729 million euros in 2003 and targets 20 % of sales invested in research and development. Giat Industries equipment and customer's services (MBTs, armoured vehicles, artillery systems, munitions, information terminal systems, product support and upgrades ) are in service in over 100 countries. For more information, visit http:www.giat-industries.fr

EADS is the largest aerospace company in Europe and the second largest worldwide. It is active in the fields of civil and military aircraft, space, defence systems and services. In 2003, EADS achieved revenues of 30.133 billion and employs over 100 000 people.

With an annual turnover exceeding € 2 billion, a forward order book of over €14 billion and over 70 customers world wide, MBDA is a world leading, global missile systems company. MBDA currently has 45 missile system and countermeasure programmes in operational service and has proven its ability as prime contractor to head major multi-national projects.

MBDA is jointly owned by BAE SYSTEMS (37.5%), EADS (37.5%) and FINMECCANICA (25%).

http://www.sagem.com

About: Sagem Communication
Sagem Communication is organized in two Business Groups: Mobile Communication and Broadband Communication.

Mobile Communication

Sagem brand mobile phones enjoys a strong presence in world markets – Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America – thanks to continuous technological innovations, including build-in cameras, colour screens, multimedia messaging, WAP, GPRS, modules and modems, etc. The Mobile Communication Business Group operates a Research & Development center in Cergy, northwest of Paris, and a production plant at Fougères, in the Brittany region of France. Industrial and commercial partnerships with other telecom players have opened access to new international markets, including China and Brazil. China: a joint venture with Bird, the leading domestic manufacturer of mobile phones, called "Ningbo Bird Sagem Electronics Corporation Ltd". Brazil: a joint subsidiary with Gradiente, to handle the production and marketing of Sagem mobile phones.

Broadband Communication

The Broadband Communication Business Group designs, develops and produces a complete line of products for the high-growth broadband, video and printing markets.

A proven capability for innovation led to technological breakthroughs that give Sagem products high-profile positions in these highly competitive markets: the first DLP flat-screen TVs in Europe, the first embedded image correction in terminals, DECT wireless phones with mobile phone functions (SMS, hi-fi ring tones, directory, etc.), TVs and set-top boxes with build-in card readers, etc.

The Broadband Communication Business Group also deploys a Europe-wide network of subsidiaries, called National Sales Organization (NSO), that distributes Sagem brand products to all major European retailers. Sagem has signed a number of agreements with OEMs, meaning that Sagem products are used by the world’s leading brands and most European operators.

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