Civil Aircraft Agreement Opens New Dimension In Long-Standing
Relationship
Thales says it's reinforced its
position in the Russian aerospace market by signing a protocol with
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company to provide the development and
integration of Thales' full avionics suite on board the Russian
Regional Jet (RRJ) airplane. The protocol, signed in Moscow,
outlines just how the two companies will interact in the
construction of the RRJ and includes a contract of around 70
million euros for a first batch of equipment.
Thales will supply Sukhoi's RRJ program with avionics and will
integrate them into the entire RRJ family. The full avionics suite
provided by Thales, including the cockpit display, communication,
navigation and surveillance systems, will boost the capacity and
performances of the RRJ aircraft. The global scope of this
agreement implies the production of a new family of regional
aircraft ranging from 60 to 95 seats.
Thales has a long-standing relationship with Sukhoi in the
military field, as integrator of retrofit equipment on SU-30
fighters for various customers. Thales was recently awarded a new
contract by the Malaysian Air Force to equip a new fleet of Sukhoi
SU-3 MKM with the full Cockpit Display System and the last
generation Head-Up Display. This contract is being carried out in
partnership between Sukhoi and Thales.
Equipped with Thales avionics, Sukhoi hopes the RRJ aircraft
will be ready to face the Russian national and export markets as
soon as 2007. Sukhoi was already awarded a first contract from
SIBIR airline for 50 RRJs. Other companies outside of Russia have
also shown a strong interest in the Sukhoi regional jet family.
The agreement reached in a highly
competitive international environment strengthens Thales' links
with its Russian industrial partners in civil and military markets.
The RRJ program, which will last between 10 and 15 years,
represents a strategic milestone for both companies in industrial
cooperation between France and Russia, according to Thales.
"For the first time in Russia, an airplane manufacturer builds
up such vast international cooperation around a commercial airplane
program. Such cooperation is vitally important for Sukhoi's future
aircraft, as it has to be fully marketable and certifiable as per
international standards. Today, six European aeronautical companies
participate in the RRJ Program, notably Thales," said Sukhoi
Holding CEO, Mikhail Pogosyan.
Fran�ois Quentin, Thales Vice President Aerospace, said
in a statement to ANN, "Thales is proud of taking a leading
position in this industrial cooperation by offering our new
generation avionics system. We are delighted that Sukhoi has chosen
Thales, the European leader in avionics, to provide the best
high-tech solutions that illustrate our group's experience in this
domain."