INDUSTRY TEAMINGS

16 Jul 08. Boeing and AgustaWestland signed an agreement for the joint manufacture of new CH-47F Chinook helicopters for the Italian Army in a ceremony held at the Farnborough Airshow. As prime contractor for the Italian CH-47F, AgustaWestland will be responsible for design and systems integration, and aircraft delivery to the Italian Army. Boeing Rotorcraft Systems will build the fuselage in Ridley Park, Pa. “This industrial agreement further expands our network of partnerships, allowing us to strengthen our long-lasting role as CH-47 Chinook supplier to the Italian Army and other operators in Europe and elsewhere,” said Giuseppe Orsi, AgustaWestland CEO.

15 Jul 08. EDS, a technology services company and Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division and a provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, have joined to deliver a Defense Logistics Solution that leverages EDS’ aerospace and defence (A&D) logistics experience and internationally known IT infrastructure services, along with Siemens PLM Software’s Teamcenter software portfolio. This Defense Logistics Solution enables aerospace and defence OEMs, suppliers and defence services/agencies to reduce the time, risk and expense associated with fulfilling defense logistics and performance-based logistics (PBL) contracts. Anticipated benefits include improved product quality, by following product configurations into the service stage of the product lifecycle, tracking product/part performance and capturing feedback to improve next-generation products; improving service by leveraging the solution’s rules and roles to protect and deliver the most current operational information available; and gaining global support, with the two companies’ presence in more than 60 countries around the world. (Source: Google)

15 Jul 08. The National Research Council Canada (NRC) and Airbus have signed a ten year framework agreement on research and technology cooperation. This new agreement is the first result of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between EADS and the NRC. EADS Innovation Works, the corporate research and technology organisation, signed this framework agreement on behalf of the entire Group in June 2008 in Canada. A spectrum of technical subjects will be covered by the Airbus-NRC agreement, ranging from manufacturing technologies to flight tests for environmental investigations. In particular, Airbus and the NRC will actively encourage the participation of Canadian supplier partners in the cooperation helping to maintain and develop the Canadian aeronautical industry’s technology base and competitiveness.

15 Jul 08. European Aerospace group EADS and Mubadala Aerospace, a division of Mubadala Development Company of the United Arab Emirates, have signed a multi-faceted supplier agreement. The partnership will allow EADS to extend its footprint in the Middle East in terms of suppliers and production capabilities. For Mubadala the agreement is an important step in the company’s commercial strategy to rapidly evolve the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s existing aerospace industry into a global aerospace hub. The cooperation is expected to generate in excess of US$1bn of revenue for Mubadala Aerospace over ten years. The agreement was signed on Monday at Farnborough Airshow. The EADS Mubadala agreement has three core components: Firstly, in cooperation with EADS, Mubadala’s recently announced composites plant will develop full design-to-build capabilities, significantly leveraging and advancing Mubadala Aerospace’s range of products and services. This will help the Abu Dhabi facilities to become a tier one supplier for the next generation of commercial aircraft. The plant will start operations in 2010, producing composite aerostructures for Airbus and potentially other manufacturers. Initially the plant will provide spoilers and flap track fairings for the Airbus A330, A340, A350 and A380. The planned nex