Airbus Military, TAI Plan Joint Company in Turkey

Airbus Military Has Signed MoU with Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) to Establish A Joint Company in Turkey.

Airbus Military has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) to establish a joint company in Turkey. The MoU was signed in a ceremony attended by Airbus Military Service Programme Manager Turkey, Matthias Fink, TAI Chairman of the Board, Yalçın Kaya and TAI Senior Vice President, Aerostructures Group, Bekir Ata Yılmaz

Airbus Military Turkey (AMTR) will be a newly-formed company, under Turkish laws, to provide in-service support (ISS) services for the A400M aircraft ordered by Turkey with the potential to provide services to other A400M users in the future. The company will be jointly owned by TAI and Airbus Military and operated at a mutually agreed location in Turkey to be decided. The next stage of the discussions will focus on the definition of the organizational structure of AMTR as well as determining the capital requirements of AMTR.

Turkey is a partner nation in the A400M programme with an order of 10 A400M aircraft, which will require in-service support. TAI is the Industrial Partner of the A400M programme in Turkey and responsible for design, development and delivery of airframe and aircraft systems such as the forward centre fuselage, rear fuselage components, ailerons, spoilers, lights and water/waste systems.

Airbus Military CEO Domingo Ureña Raso said: “We are very satisfied to have reached this first step in the partnership for providing ISS to the Turkish A400M fleet with our partner TAI. TAI is a long standing partner of Airbus and Airbus Military and this first agreement will establish a strong in-country footprint to ensure a smooth entry into service and comprehensive support for the operation of the fleet. We are now looking forward to the next steps for concluding the provision of the ISS to Turkey and to further broaden our links with the Turkish aerospace industry.”

TAI Chairman Yalçın Kaya said: “We have started working on A400M in 2003 as a partner in AMSL, having important design and manufacturing responsibilities. Design phase of the aircraft is almost completed and serial production started. Now it is time to continue our support in the sustainment phase of the program. This TAI-AMSL partnership (JV) is aimed at providing cost-effective logistic solutions to the Turkish Air Force with the possibility for expanding the service to future potential customers.”

About the A400M

The A400M is an all-new military airlifter designed to meet the needs of the world's Armed Forces in the 21st Century. Thanks to its most advanced technologies, it is able to fly higher, faster and further, while retaining high maneuverability, low speed, and short, soft and rough airfield capabilities. It combines both tactical and strategic/logistic missions. With its cargo hold specifically designed to carry the outsize equipment needed today for both military and humanitarian disaster relief missions, it can bring this material quickly and directly to where it is most needed. Conceived to be highly reliable, dependable, and with a great survivability, the multipurpose A400M can do more with less, implying smaller fleets and less investment from the operator. The A400M is the most cost efficient and versatile airlifter ever conceived and absolutely unique in its capabilities.

About Airbus Military

Airbus Military is the only military and civic/humanitarian transport aircraft manufacturer to develop, produce, sell and support a comprehensive family of airlifters ranging from three to 45 tonnes of payload. An Airbus daughter company, Airbus Military is responsible for the A400M programme, as well as the Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) A330 and for further military derivatives based on Airbus civil aircraft.

Together with the smaller “Light & Medium” C295, CN235 and C212, Airbus Military is the global leader in the market for military transport, tanker and surveillance aircraft able to perform the most varied missions. Altogether, Airbus Military has sold more than 1,000 aircraft to some 130 military, civilian and governmental customers. More than 800 of these aircraft have been delivered. Airbus is an EADS company.

About TAI

Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) is the center of technology in design, development, manufacturing, integration of aerospace systems, modernization and after sales support in Turkey. Located in Ankara, Turkey, TAI’s modern aircraft facilities are furnished with high technology machinery and equipment that provide extensive manufacturing capabilities. TAI has a total of 4000 highly motivated employees, 1500 of whom are engineers.


Source: 28 June 2012 - Airbus Military News

Photo: The Turkish Air Force Airbus Military Turkey (AMTR) A400M Multi role Transport Aircraft (Photo by © xairforces.net 2012)

(28.06.2012)