Eurocopter, MARIGNANE, France: Eurocopter and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence formally opened a Joint Project Office (JPO) to manage the life extension programme of the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Puma helicopters this week. The office is located in Bristol, adjacent to MOD Abbey Wood.
The JPO is staffed by personnel from Eurocopter and the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation, who will initially manage the Assessment Phase of the programme, and subject to satisfactory completion and approval, will move on to manage the Development and Manufacture phase in 2008. The JPO will also manage the Puma and Gazelle Through-Life Support (TLS) programme. The upgraded Pumas, to be fitted with new avionics including glass cockpits, and more powerful Makila engines, will be known in service as the Puma HC Mk2.
The opening ceremony was conducted by Olivier Lambert, Eurocopter’s Senior Vice-President Sales and Customer Relations, and Jonathan Lyle, MOD’s Director General Helicopters. Commenting on the opening, Messrs Lambert and Lyle said “This is a very significant development in the maturing relationship between MOD and Eurocopter. Not only is it the first time we have worked together in a truly joint and open environment for the delivery of a specific programme, it is also the beginning of a wider partnered relationship between the Company and the MOD, which we intend to develop, within the framework of the Defence Industrial Strategy.”
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 14,000 people. In 2006, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 3.8 billion euros, orders for 615 new helicopters, and a 52% percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. More than 9,800 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in service with over 2,800 customers in 140 countries.
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