Beijing sign 9 billion contract with Paris

The Board o Directors o EADS should announce October 6 the o icial launch o the A350, the uture long-haul jet to compete with the Boeing 787. This green light will con ert to irm orders some 130 shopping intentions gained since last year and will mark the beginning o the industrial phase o design and manu acturing. Howe er, to de use the US counter-o ensi e on the ront o the State aid, the European aeronautical Group expected a decision by the World Trade Organization be ore touching the re undable ad ance, that are willing to unblock the rance, the Germany, Great Britain, and the Spain.

Syracuse: an Intranet or the rench military. 158 Allowed a light to orbit October 16 the military satellite communication throughput Syracuse 3A built by Alcatel Alenia Space that the military eagerly or se eral months. Towards the beginning o next year, this system will pro ide a communication capability secure o er the Indian Ocean, as much to connect the rench headquarters to troops deployed in the area to ensure the links on the theatres themsel es. Syracuse 3A is the cornerstone o a comprehensi e program o EUR 2.3 billion which will pro ide the rance o a real military Intranet here in the next decade.

The result o the match between Boeing and Airbus in Qantas can no doubt lea e a bitter taste to the European aircra t manu acturer, but does not tarnish in so the balance rom year 2005 to remain in the annals o the two aircra t manu acturers as a boom year. With 901 irm orders including those o Qantas, Boeing has already broken his own record o 1996, which was led by 668 sold commercial de ices. Same satis action among Airbus which, with 726 irm orders at the last count (December), exceeds his score o 556 aircra t established in 1995. By adding these Chinese purchasing intentions, it must there ore be e ecti e some 1.977 de ices, 1.065 or Boeing and 912 or Airbus, ordered since January 1.

Two aircra t manu acturers ha e ully bene ited rom the rebound o world air tra ic began in 2004 a ter three years o crisis. A the e ect o low-cost companies added renewed growth o traditional carriers, except Americans. The escalation o the price o uel, which prompted operators to accelerate the modernization o their leet, as well as the low le el o interest rates and the weakening o the dollar, currency which are billed aircra t, also played or aircra t manu acturers.

Importance o emerging countries. The most remarkable in order books is the part o the emerging markets, on the irst rank o which China, the India and the Middle East. Alone, the empire o the Middle commissioned 419 aircra t since the beginning o the year: 228 191 to Boeing, including 60 Boeing 787 and Airbus, whose order record or 150 A320 and A380 5,. Is also distinguished the India, with 233 orders and commitments since January, including 168 or Airbus.

Eurocopter wins a giant contract in South Korea. The South Korean De ence Ministry chose the Eurocopter subsidiary in the tendering or the construction o 245 military troop transport helicopters. Eurocopter had opposite Italian AgustaWestland and Bell American KHP (Korean Helicopter Project) program assessed, in total, between 6 and 8 billion. The de elopment o these de ices is expected between 2006 and 2011 and their manu acture duration then ten years. The share o the European constructor is "30 o the de elopment phase and 20 o the production phase," these de ices whose weight will ary between 7.5 and 8.5 tonnes.

Beijing sign 9 billion contract with Paris. The o icial isit by Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao rance, begins under the best auspices the rench Go ernment. More than 9 billion euros o contracts and protocols were signed yesterday on a day that the Chinese Minister in act dedicated to the rench business community in securing two inter entions be ore business leaders. Airbus, which had con irmed the purchase record o 150 A320, or a alue o 9.3 billion (EUR 8.3 billion), still the main bene iciary o this Chinese manna destined or the rance. EADS also signed a partnership agreement between its subsidiary Eurocopter and the Chinese conglomerate A ic II to de elop a new model o ci il helicopter. Missing piece: Are a always has concluded the sale o a nuclear power plant.

The U.S. Department o transportation (DoT) re used to grant antitrust immunity to Skyteam, belie ing that this would not signi icantly to consumer bene it. The companies concerned are Air rance-KLM, Alitalia, Czech Airlines and Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, both placed under "chapter 11". Re usal is pro isional, a DoT spokesman Bill Mosley said. The Department will accept to discuss the arguments o the applicants or a period o 28 days in total be ore making a inal opinion. Antitrust immunity protects airlines against urther actions related to in ringements o the competition.

Re use to grant it is to pre ent companies to "coordinate extensi ely, as they would their pricing practices and ser ices.

The Swedish Go ernment has decided to participate in the European research program "Neuron" on an unmanned combat aircra t. This go ernmental agreement supports the entry o the countries in the program or which the Swedish Aeronautics group Saab had already signed an industrial agreement with rench Dassault A iation who has mastery o work.

The Swedish participation will be unded by Saab 600 million to 63,62 million. The master o this program in an amount o EUR 400 million was entrusted to Dassault A iation. The rance will ha e to inance the hal , the rest being borne by the other associated countries. Dassault A iation and Saab Greek groups HAI (Hellenic Aerospace Industry), Italian Alenia ( inmeccanica), Spanish EADS Casa and Swiss Ruag, are so engaged in the project o UCA (Unmanned Combat Aerial ehicles). The Belgium also supports. The goal o this program is to allow the participating European study o ices remain in the technological race, waiting or the next generation o combat aircra t which programs will be launched to 2015 to achie e by 2030.

Euro ighter or Saudi Arabia. The agreement between Britain and Saudi Arabia or the replacement o its leet o military aircra t by a Euro ighter is the contract o the year or the ighters. The memorandum o understanding signed between the two Go ernments is to establish "a greater partnership" between the two countries on military cooperation, and includes "replacement by".

"the Typhoon (Euro ighter) o the Tornado and other de ices" currently used by the Saudi air orce. This agreement, which is an extension o a partnership between the two countries, said the number o de ices that will be sold, or deli ery dates. The British press re erred to a contract or 72 aircra t or deli ery rom 2008, including optional 24. According to the Times, the irst 24 deli ered aircra t could be taken on the 89 planned or the Royal Air orce or the second tranche o the Euro ighter programme. Citing anonymous diplomatic sources and de ence, "the guardian" stated that the military between Riyadh and London negotiations were stalled, Saudi ha e asked three conditions: the expulsion o two Saudi dissidents in Britain, the resumption o lights o British Airways to Riyadh, suspended or ear o terrorist attacks, and the judgment o a corruption in estigation in ol ing the Saudi royal amily and BAE.

The contract or the supply o weapons or the Saudi aircra t was awarded, as n 155 o "AéronautiqueBusiness" on No ember 10, 2005, suggested to the United Kingdom: the political continuity inally triumphed o er the break would ha e been a lurry o major contract. The memorandum o understanding between the two monarchies plans "to establish a closer partnership or the modernisation o the Saudi armed orces." This sentence was little commented: it is undamental. irst, because it is actually expected a strengthening o the partnership between the two countries, e idence that, despite obstacles (accusations o corruption, case o the Saudi opposition based in London), the base o cooperation rom State to State is extremely strong... Since 1985.

Second, the Protocol co ers all the needs o the armed orces, and not only those o the Air orce: the Na y and the army should also be in ol ed in procurement, training, maintenance, technology trans er and local in estments. The coming months pro ide the e idence.

With regard to the Air orce, the contract should not be exceptional, but limit irst (according to the principle o the nesting o the LoA, basic structure o Al Yamamah), to 24 Typhoon - taken in the 89 slice 2 planned or the Royal Air orce - to replace 24 Tornado AD (air de ence ariant), is a contract estimated at 2 billion to ; should ollow later another contract or 24 other Typhoon; although that not mentioned in the announcement o the British John Reid Minister, the contract or modernization o the Tornado IDS (ban Strike), should also result it, there also with a limited number o de ices (24); work has already begun to Warton on triplicate IDS, or operational demonstrator (attacked ground, new a ionics, etc).

This announcement oreshadows so not to at the outset a contract o a magnitude equal to the pre ious Al Yamamah I and II contracts: the number o de ices and support contracts are less, but uture contracts, including missiles (ASRAAM, Storm Shadow), should be or their ery substantial.

The consequences o contract are multiple; This makes it di icult or the Ra ale to export. Neither the Switzerland nor the Greece or the Norway, the Qatar, the Libya and the Algeria are easy or su iciently important leads in number to compensate or this loss o Saudi Arabia; inally, a ter such a Saudi commitment, it is di icult how the RA could not order the 3 Euro ighter tranche. inally, this agreement is e idence o a learned balance on the part o Abdallah: the Typhoon is a European plane, but the United Kingdom which the sells and supports politically, is an unwa ering ally o the United States. These, or domestic political reasons inherent in the Saudi Kingdom, could not sell aircra t. So are the logic o 1985, i.e. an agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States to ensure the control o the de ence o the Saudi Kingdom. The sale o Ra ale was based on a spirit o independence o the Saudis...E idence that a clearly lost rance hand in diplomatic in luence, intelligence and lobbying.

ATR It is the surprise o the year 2005 a ter ha ing crossed the incredible 90 commands Cape and intentions o purchase o new aircra t, or the best result e er recorded by the ranco-Italian manu acturer, almost or e en endangered. Undoubtedly, 2005 a year o reco ery, a ter three disappointing years, ATR has deli ered 13 new aircra t (5 ATR42 and ATR72 8) in 2004, 9 in 2003, and has recorded 12 new orders in 2004 rom 10 the pre ious year. Con ronted with the enthusiasm o the regional companies to the jets in the 1990s, turboprop aircra t ound their legitimacy as the most economic or some roads while the price o a barrel laming. This type o aircra t adapts to niche markets in India, the Caribbean or the Indian Ocean, where they is needed because it was more practical, less expensi e and una oidable to per orm merchant links (passenger and/or cargo). inally, ATR has ery strong de elopment o air transport in the Asia-Paci ic regions and there ore the creation o small companies, actual start-up launched with only a ew million dollars. The real ad enture o air transport!

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Science and Earth obser ation sectors

Science and Earth obser ation sectors ha e done well out o Berlin Ministerial Con erence. Science progresses by 2.5, to o set in lation, by the enlargement o the ESA set the Greece and the Luxembourg. This tip will sa e the BepiColombo mission to mercury, scheduled or 2012. The ExoMars mission, which does not depend on the mandatory scienti ic program, but the optional program o exploration, was well subdi ided with 651 MEuro (s), which allows its startup or launch in 2011. or the obser ation o the Earth, the big decision regarding the programme GMES-1, premier satellite dedicated to the GMES initiati e (Global Monitoring or En ironment & Security) with the European Union, which was largely o ersubscribed by Ministers and which already has a commitment o 420 MEuro (s) or the 2nd phase, to decide the next Ministerial Council in 2008 in the Netherlands. Howe er, this decision has been dictated by the urgency because GMES-1 satellite must succeed in 2011 to En isat to a oid the interruption o the missions o obser ation radar and Oceanography, at the end o his li e. Launched in 2002, En isat was designed initially or a 5-year mission, but the precision o its injection in orbit by Ariane 5 allowed to sa e its propellant and double li e. GMES-1 will be "gap iller" pending e ecti e startup o GMES through the unding o the 7th European P blocked or six months by the budget dispute in the EU.