Finmeccanica at the FIDAE Air Show: South America is a market with enormous potential

Finmeccanica will take part at FIDAE as one unified company, leader in Aerospace, defence and Security

Rome  24 March 2016 15:08

  • For the first time the Peruvian Air Force C-27J flying and on display at the FIDAE Air Show
  • The AW139 and C-27J, in use with other South American customers, could perfectly fit the requirements of the Chilean Armed Forces already using Finmeccanica’s electronic systems and sensors

 

As FIDAE, one of the most important showcases for the Aerospace, Defence and Security sector in South America opens its doors on 29 March in Santiago, Chile, Finmeccanica will take part as one unified company, leader in Aerospace, defence and SecurityFinmeccanica arrives in Chile having recently announced that it has chosen “Leonardo” as its new name. Latin America is a key market for Finmeccanica’s growth strategy in the short to medium term.

 

In the aeronautics sector Finmeccanica has an important presence in Latin America thanks to a solid industrial partnership established in the early 70’s with Brazil through the AMX programme. In Brazil, the Gripen E, the new generation fighter aircraft ordered by FAB, are equipped with the state-of-the-art Raven ES-05 AESA radar, with an innovative passive IR system, a self-protection devices and a IFF (Identification-Friend-or-Foe) system, all supplied by Finmeccanica.

 

The AW139 and the AW189 have recently been acquired in Columbia, in the Oil & Gas field, following past successes in Brazil in the same sector and there is good feedback for the operations of the multirole AW139 in Trinidad and Tobago and of the AW119 Koalas for the Police of the Brazilian States, active today in Brasilia, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Alagoas. For the future there are strong prospects in the area for the multirole AW139 and for fire-fighting capabilities of the AW119.

 

The FIDAE Air Show will host the Peruvian Air Force C-27J, one of 14 customers across the world that ordered the Finmeccanica aircraft which is considered world-class in the new-generation medium tactical airlifter category. The C-27J Spartan was chosen by Peru for its ability to operate safely and efficiently and at competitive cost in all operational scenarios of the Latin American country, including take-off/landing on the high altitude unprepared, strips, of the Andes and at the many local airports.

 

In the area of training, with over 50 years’ experience in pilot training, Finmeccanica has developed an integrated training system already selected by several customers, which includes the Aermacchi M-346 twin-engine jet, the mission simulators, the mission support system, instruments for academic training, in addition to those for training management, all fully integrated and capable of interconnecting ground simulators with the flying aircraft during training missions. The new M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer) trainer aircraft is the most recent solution offered by Finmeccanica for the basic-advanced phase of pilot training, a leading, cost-effective solution as it has all the advantages of the typical performance of a jet, while its operational costs are comparable to those of a propeller trainer aircraft.

 

Its knowledge and expertise in the field of Electronics, Defence and Security Systems, today makes Finmeccanica a leader in the global market, able to cover all major market segments with programs dedicated to security in both the defence and civil sector. Solutions that can be applied to a variety of different operations in any type of environment: aircraft mission systems, uncrewed surveillance systems, naval and underwater systems, solutions for the protection of land, urban centres, critical infrastructure, for major events and areas at risk, intelligence systems and cybersecurity. Systems integration is the real challenge faced by all countries to guarantee defence and security of their citizens. The ability to develop, produce and manage them through a single industrial entity capable of adapting the most advanced technological solutions to the needs of the single market, is one of the strengths of the new Finmeccanica.

 

Finmeccanica has contributed to improving the security of the Chilean Armed Forces, providing them with leading-edge electronic systems and sensors. Among the main systems: tactical communication systems for the Army, optical sensors for the Navy Frigates and radars for the Air Force. During FIDAE Finmeccanica will showcase new-generation technologies such as the E-Scan radar system Seaspray and the SkyISTAR system, the ideal solution for patrolling missions, able to react to several threats ranging from terrorist attacks to illegal immigration, to the protection of exclusive economic zones. Finmeccanica is watching with interest, the C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) modernisation programmes of the Chilean Army, and is promoting its own technologies in this field.