Scandinavian Avionics Sign MOU On Fighter Jets With Airbus Defence And Space

Billund, Denmark, 26.08.2015

Scandinavian Avionics has just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus Defence and Space regarding work related to the Eurofighter Typhoon, which Denmark at the moment is considering as a substitute for its ageing F-16s.

Hardy B. Truelsen, founder of the family-owned company, Scandinavian Avionics:

“ This MoU is of high value to our company in striving to continue our development and extension of our overall capabilities. With its wide scope of business and as a leading manufacturer of military as well as civilian operated aircraft and helicopters, Airbus is an extremely attractive partner for Scandinavian Avionics. We look forward to further developing our core capabilities and jointly working with Airbus Defence and Space on new areas of avionics support to the Danish Eurofighter Typhoon and other relevant projects,” says Hardy B. Truelsen, founder of the family-owned company, Scandinavian Avionics. “

The MoU between Scandinavian Avionics and Airbus Defence and Space primarily involves avionics support as maintenance, repair and overhaul as well as design and development of aircraft and helicopter modifications and associated STC’s (Supplemental Type Certificates).
Scandinavian Avionics sees great possibilities within the agreement to expand and improve their capabilities and along with more than 37 years of experience within the avionics business, it creates a solid foundation for a strong cooperation with Airbus, if Denmark should choose the Eurofighter Typhoon as the next fighter jet.

An order of a value of 30 billion DKK
The MoU with Scandinavian Avionics is part of the European giant Airbus’ plan to involve Danish companies in Eurofighter Typhoon production and maintenance activities in the event of Denmark selecting the aircraft.
Airbus has already identified 25 potential projects directly related to the Eurofighter Typhoon corresponding to industrial benefits of more than 20 billion DKK, spanning the service life of the aircraft.

In alignment with the RDAF, Danish industry will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Eurofighter Typhoon partners on the lifetime sustainment of the Typhoon aircraft , the development of new technologies, the management of the supply chain and on fighter related Arctic capabilities and solutions.
Airbus Group, one of the world’s two leading producers of both commercial and military aircraft, carries an order book of more than 5,500 aircraft with a value exceeding DKK 4,300 billion. An increased Airbus Group presence in country, brought about by a Eurofighter Typhoon purchase, will offer Danish industry opportunities for additional business relationships and benefits beyond activities directly associated with the fighter jet purchase at an estimated value of some DKK 10 billion. Overall, the Eurofighter Typhoon will benefit Danish economy with the estimated generation of in excess of 5.000 jobs in Eurofighter Typhoon related activities as well as a further 2.000 jobs via other, spin-off related, business opportunities.

The backbone of NATO
The independent and well renowned British military think tank The Royal United Services Institute for Defenceand Security Studies (RUSI) has just published a report which concludes that the Eurofighter Typhoon today would only be surpassed by the F-22 Raptor, an aircraft which is not available for export and would be more than three times as expensive. This thus leaves the Eurofighter Typhoon at the top of the list, as also concluded by the RUSI-report, being able to match or out-perform all present-day fighter jets.

Eurofighter Typhoon has provided the backbone of the NATO force patrolling the European skies for the past decade and, in particular, in the Baltic in the recent period of increased air space activities there.

Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft , operating from bases such as Lithuania and Estonia, the Falkland Islands, as well as in the Middle East, have now since years been depended upon to provide reliable, quick reaction alert at all times of day and night in environments ranging from Arctic to Desert conditions.

As an example, the current Eurofighter Typhoon Baltic deployment has just been extended for at least another year and the reaction time cut by NATO from 30 minutes to 15 minutes, which was implemented by the Spanish detachment, is now being provided by RAF Typhoons.

The Eurofighter Typhoon, which is produced by Airbus and three other European companies, is one of the three fighters that Denmark is considering as a replacement for the 35-year old F-16s.
This common European fighter jet, which is already in use by Denmark’s closest allies – the UK and Germany–has already proven its value in real combat, such as in Libya. The two other candidates are the F-35 Lightning from Lockheed Martin, which is still being developed, and the F-18 Super Hornet from Boeing.