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MARIGNANE, France --- Eurocopter welcomes the confirmation of the Sultanate of Oman with the signature on 24th July 2004 in Muscat of the contract for the acquisition of 20 leading edge technology NH 90 Battlefield helicopters between the Ministry of Defence of the Sultanate and NH Industries of France.
This new commercial contract has been won thanks to the close cooperation of the teams of EADS International and Eurocopter.
This achievement will greatly strengthen Oman Armed Forces capability in tactical transport, search and rescue and other military missions in all terrains.
They will be operated by the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO).
On this occasion, Fabrice Brégier Eurocopter CEO stated: “We, at Eurocopter, are particularly proud to introduce the NH 90 helicopter for the first time out of Europe to the Middle East with such a prestigious customer,” adding “We are more than ever convinced that thanks to its unmatched design and technology, and enormous growth potential, the NH 90 is the ideal platform for performing the new rising missions and rationalizing our customers’ fleet.”
The selection by RAFO of the NH 90, the only military helicopter in its class equipped with FBW system guaranteeing first-rate flying characteristics will give Oman together with other modern devices unrivalled capabilities in helicopter operations for the coming decades.
The order includes 20 multipurpose NH 90 helicopters with enhanced power plant perfectly adapted to the extreme flight conditions of this region of Middle East.
The contract also contemplates a comprehensive support package and services with a contractor’s field assistance on several bases, training aids and mission preparation stations.
It is anticipated that the helicopters will progressively enter into service in the country by 2008.
Let us underline that before its first delivery, the NH 90 has already been ordered by 10 countries, with a total of 345 firm orders and 86 options.
Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2003 EADS, generated revenues of 30.1 billion euros and employed a workforce of about 109,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world’s largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the second-largest missile producer in the global market. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.
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