Babcock France and Dassault Aviation have signed a partnership which would initially materialize in the delivery of the French “FOMEDEC” training contract with the creation of a joint company under the leadership of Babcock France.
Following a competitive bid process, the France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) has awarded Babcock France with the FOMEDEC contract to provide and maintain a training platform and related services for the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air).
This 11-year contract will provide new training aircraft (Pilatus PC 21), related simulators (CAE) and modernized training facilities for the training of fighter jet crews to be performed by the Air Force itself at the Cognac Air Base. The first aircraft will be delivered in March 2018.
Archie Bethel, Chief Executive of Babcock International Group, said: “We are delighted that our French company will be working as a key support partner on this major French defense contract. The project will draw on our expertise in the European aviation industry and our experience of delivering long-term military flight training programs. It is also a great satisfaction to engage a partnership with such a recognized aviation leader as Dassault. We look forward to working with the French Air Force over the next decade.”
Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, said: “As the manufacturer of the Rafale, the spearhead of the French fighters, and of its advanced training companion, the Alpha Jet, Dassault Aviation bolsters this new project with Babcock, an outstanding provider of support environments, for the benefit of the French Ministry of Defense. With this program, we are very proud to keep on our enduring participation to the training of the French fighter pilots. Since 1959, our company has been the provider of the French fighter training courses.”
Babcock France also supports the training of the French armed forces, through HéliDax, providing 36 EC 120 helicopters for the initial training of military pilots. Babcock is a major player in the maintenance of other French state helicopters, and the leading supplier of Helicopter Emergency Medical Service in France, with a fleet of 30 helicopters. The company was incorporated in 1985 and integrated into the Babcock Group in 2014.
Babcock International Group is the UK’s leading engineering support services company, delivering complex and critical projects, both in the UK and overseas. With revenue of circa £4.8 billion in 2016, Babcock supports vital assets within a number of industry sectors including defense, emergency services, energy, transport and training. The unparalleled expertise of our 35,000 global employees means that - whether designing, building, operating, managing, or maintaining vital assets - Babcock is a partner that can be trusted to deliver.
With more than 8,000 military and civil aircraft delivered to more than 90 countries over the past 60 years, and having logged nearly 28 million flight hours to date, Dassault Aviation can offer recognized know-how and experience in the design, development, sale and support of all types of aircraft, from the Rafale fighter to the Falcon range of high-end business jets, as well as military unmanned air systems. In 2015, Dassault Aviation reported revenues of €4.20 billion. The company has almost 12,000 employees.
In 2016, Dassault Aviation celebrated the first centennial of its history, which started in 1916 with Marcel Dassault and the Éclair propeller.
