Exail, formerly ECA Group, and Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) have signed a major new contract for the supply of a Full Flight Simulator (FFS), designed to train crews on the E-3F AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft used in airspace defense by the French Air Force. This Full Flight Simulator (FFS) will provide an identical replica of the forthcoming redesign of the E-3F AWACS cockpit, providing the crews from the French Air Force with access to a modern flight simulator that’s perfectly adapted to their training needs and challenges, and is available on home soil.
Dominique Giannoni, CEO of Exail said: “We’d like to thank the DGA and AFI KLM E&M for choosing our unique expertise and experience, developed over more than twenty-five years in the field of flight simulation. Landing this contract guarantees sustained activity for the Exail teams in Lannion over the coming three years, and we’re proud to be supporting the French Air and Space Force with this new, cutting-edge simulator.”
Anne Brachet, EVP Air France-KLM Engineering & Maintenance said: “The AFI KLM E&M teams have been looking after AWACS for over 30 years and have developed a passion for this work, without ever losing sight of the operational challenges faced by an aircraft of this type. The cockpit renovation is a strategic goal for our customer, and along with Exail we’re putting our expertise to work for the pilots of the French Air and Space Force, from training through to operations.”
The sourcing of this Full Flight Simulator (FFS) on behalf of the French Air Force falls within the contract awarded to Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) by the French Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) for the renovation of the cockpit on the E-3F AWACS strategic aircraft. The DGA is set to certify the simulator in late 2025, in conjunction with the cockpit renovation project. This agreement is testament to the confidence the DGA holds in both AFI KLM E&M and Exail, and highlights the leading expertise demonstrated by both groups in their respective fields.