EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. In 2007, EADS generated revenues of ˆ39.1 billion and employed a workforce of about 116,000. The Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and EADS Astrium, the European leader in space programmes from Ariane to Galileo. Its Defence & Security Division is a provider of comprehensive systems solutions and makes EADS the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium as well as a stakeholder in the missile systems provider MBDA. EADS also develops the A400M through its Military Transport Aircraft Division.

EADS and its predecessors have a long history of cooperation with Russian aerospace industry counterparts since the beginning of 1990s. The continuous contacts and running projects soon allowed to form diverse ties with Russia and to found a solid base for expansion of long-term cooperation in all areas of aeronautics and space.

EADS wholly owned subsidiary in Russia, OOO EADS, was established in 2004 to be the driving force behind all activities of the EADS Group in the country. OOO EADS manages such functions as business development, industrial and technology-oriented cooperation, government relations and marketing.

Over the last several years the number of collaborative projects exceeded 100 with total investment of nearly $1 bln. Some good examples would be “Soyuz in Guyana”, where the Russian launcher is modernized jointly by Russia and Europe to carry international satellites to orbit from the European spaceport in Kourou, or the cooperation on the International Space Station. The pan-European programs like Next Generation Launcher are utilized to fully involve Russian space agencies and industry in the cooperative development.

Industrial cooperation in aeronautics started from the production of critical components for Airbus aircraft and the volumes of deliveries are now constantly growing. The Airbus Engineering Centre ECAR, which became the first engineering facility established by Airbus in Europe outside its home countries, currently employs some 170 Russian engineers working at fuselage structure, stress testing and systems installation. Material supplies from Russia are progressing from raw material to finished products.

Another milestone in the extensive industrial cooperation programme with the Russian industry follows the creation in 2007 of the joint venture for civil freighter aircraft conversion business for the A320 aircraft family in Russia (Zhukovsky) and Germany (Dresden). The partners in this joint venture are UAC, Irkut, Airbus and EADS EFW. P2F will become the only modern solution in the small freighter market, offering unprecedented operational and fuel efficiency in addition to loading flexibility. The first conversion will be ready in 2011 with serial production starting in early 2012.

Besides the industrial cooperation, a good example of the mutual benefits that are brought by cooperation is the science and research field. All the leading Russian aerospace science institutions, including the Russian Academy of Sciences, TsAGI, NIAT, VIAM, MAI and others, are collaborating with EADS researchers. The results of such scientific studies were already successfully applied to some aircraft programmes, such as A380, several projects are focused on the next-generation aircraft and spacecraft.

Please visit our website: www.eads.com