Aerospatiale, Alcatel, Lagardere and Thomson-CSF have concluded an agreement, at a meeting attended by the Director of National Armaments, setting out the companies' respective responsibilities and areas of competence in avionics, missile systems and satellites. This agreement is designed to clarify the relations between the two groups formed by Thomson CSF and Alcatel, on the one hand, and the future company Aerospatiale-Matra Hautes Technologies, on the other.

Avionics: Thomson-CSF becomes the sole shareholder (100%) in Sextant Avionique.

Furthermore, Aerospatiale and Sextant Avionique are considering a new restructuring of their avionics activites, which would be grouped within Sextant Avionique at Toulouse, except for those operations for which direct control is required for the design and upgrades of Airbus airplanes by Aerospatiale and its partners.

Missile systems: Aerospatiale and Thomson-CSF, partners with Alenia of Italy within the Eurosam consortium, have confirmed their commitments to the development and commercialisation of systems and equipment in the future family of FSAF medium range surface-to-air missiles.

Through this ten-year agreement, the two partners confirm their commitment to penetrating this market, with their partner Alenia, exclusively via Eurosam. The competencies offered by Eurosam cover comprehensive defence solutions for the French, European and export markets, including medium-range surface-to-air systems comprising subsystems developed within the scope of FSAF programs.

Satellites: Alcatel, Alcatel Space and Thomson-CSF will not require the future Aerospatiale-Matra Hautes Technologies company to comply with previous undertakings not to compete in the satellites business, given the transfer by Lagardere of Matra Hautes Technologies shares.

Alcatel and Thomson-CSF are pleased to note that the French government accords Alcatel Space an eminent role in military satellite programs (telecommunications, radar and optical earth observation, monitoring), thereby strengthening Alcatel Space's position in space systems and helping to develop synergies between its defense and non-defense businesses.

Negociated in a spirit of constructive action, this agreement falls within the scope of industrial rationalisation initiatives that will allow all parties to see their respective areas of competence and limits defined more clearly. This should facilitate the industrial partnerships and alliances now being formed in Europe.

Press contact : 33 (0)1 53 77 86 26 (Thomson-CSF)

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