Thales signs first contract with Dassault Aviation for through-life support of Rafale avionics

Thales today announced that it has signed a contract with Dassault Aviation to provide maintenance support for avionics equipment on Rafale combat aircraft in service with the French armed forces. This ten-year fixed-price contract includes a range of extended services.

The avionics support agreement with Thales flows from the comprehensive Rafale throughlife support contract awarded to Dassault Aviation by SIMMAD(1) in late 2008 under a similar arrangement, with an initial five-year tranche followed by five further optional tranches of one year each.

Pierre-Eric Pommellet, Thales Senior Vice President in charge of aerospace businesses, stated: "The contract is the first of its kind for this type of equipment, with a fixed price per hour of flight adding new extended services such as obsolescence management."

This new contract is part of Thales's innovative approach to service provision, based on endto- end support solutions with guaranteed levels of operational availability. "We are continuing to tailor our services to match the evolving requirements of the armed forces while reducing the overall cost of support," Pommellet added.

Thales is also drawing on its experience with the French armed forces to serve export customers. The company's comprehensive support solutions are meeting with increasing success in these markets.

(1) SIMMAD is the Defence aircraft joint in-service support organisation. It is the maintenance arm of the French Air Force with responsibility for joint forces operations, and receives its directives from the Chief of the Defence Staff).