safran magazine # 12 -april 2012

8/13/2019 Safran Magazine # 12 -April 2012

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/safran-magazine-12-april-2012 1/19P. 18 PANORAMA: PATROLLER DRONE, LONG-ENDURANCE OBSERVATION / P. 26 MARKETS: SMART CARDS FOR HEALTH

APRIL 2012 – # 12THE SAFRAN GROUP MAGAZINE

40 years of partnershipswith Safran

CHINA TODAY

SPECIAL REPORT


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/safran-magazine-12-april-2012 2/19

MARCHÉSContents

02 _ April 2012 _ Safran Magazine Safran Magazine _ April 2012 _ 03

MARCHÉSEditorial

Safran has been especially successful in recent months. The newgeneration aircraft engine LEAP has really taken off, having alreadlogged more than 3,000 orders and commitments. LEAP is indeed worthy successor to the CFM56, which continues at record busineslevels. We have also staked out exceptional positions to anticipatchanges in the air transport industry, by investing in “more-electric

aircraft and green taxiing, for instance. Other major developments are causefor satisfaction as well, in particular the completion of the Herakles project tocreate the world’s second largest solid rocket propulsion company, our link-uwith Thales in optronics and infrared sensors, and the acquisition of the U.S

company L1 Identity Solutions, makinSafran one of the world leaders in securittechnology.

Each of these developments playa fundamental role in our Group’organization, harbors expanded sy nergie

and future growth, and strengthens us over the long term. To keep pace withongoing growth, we continue to modernize our production facilities in Francand around the world. We are also very proud of our efforts to help develoemployment in industry and attract today’s top talents, who will obviousl

underpin our future success.Many questions remain up in the air, of cours e, as we move forward. Europe

current financial difficulties will impact the real economy. Safran will rise tothese challenges because we operate in global markets, we deploy a resilienstrategy, and we have a very clear vision of where we are going.

The companies that will emerge from this crisis as winners are those able tocreate a distinctive difference by leveraging innovation and competitivenesAnd that’s why, with full confidence in the future of our Group, we are going tfurther amplify our focus on R&D and increase our capital expenditures.

Building confidencefor the long haul

22 United Kingdom

You can also check out the

latest Safran news on:• www.safran-group.com• www.facebook.com/GroupeSafran

Jean-Paul Herteman

Chairman and CEO of Safran

News break P. 04

Special report P. 08China today40 years of partnerships with Safran.

Panorama P. 18Long-endurance observationThe Patroller drone is the most cost-effectivesolution for long-endurance surveillancemissions.

Markets P. 2222 Safran in the UK

25 The A400M’s inertial navigation

system26 Health card a success

28 High-tech missiles

Insight P. 30Recruitment: a more attractiveemployer

Interview P. 32Tunisia takes offInterview with Mohamed Frikha,Chairman and CEO of Telnet.

“We are very proud ofour efforts to help developemployment in industry.”

A similar cultural and industrial heritage, as wellas geographical proximity, have fostered Safran’sdevelopment in the United Kingdom, enabling itto deploy a broad array of expertise.

FOUR DECADES

OF MUTUAL

TRUST

© J

é r o m e D e u l l i n / E u r o c o p t e r

The Safran group magazine - 2, bddu Général-Martial-Valin 75724 Paris -

France - Cedex 15 - E-mail : [email protected] Publication Director: Pascale Dubois - Editorial Director:Florent Vilbert - Executive Editor in Chief: Céline Groult -Editor in Chief: Martin Bellet - Written by: A. Attali, D. Baudier,M. Bellet, B. Dietz, S. Ghorbal, F. Lert, G. Sequeira-Martins- Translation: Don Siegel, ID Communications - Production:

- Printed by: Imprimerie Vincent, certifiedIMPRIM’VERT on PEFC accredited paper - ISSN 1960-7164 - The articles and illustrations published inthis magazine may not be reproduced without priorauthorization. Cover: © Corbis



WEXPORT

MARCHÉSNews Breaks


flight-hours logged by Arrieland Makila helicopter enginesin Malaysia.

Morpho issued its one-millionth biometricdevice to an Indian customer duringthe Biometrics trade show in London.

1 million 1 million

In search of the White Bird

S

afran signed a two-yearpartnership agreement inDecember 2011 with the

association La Recherche de l’OiseauBlanc (“In Search of the White Bird”)to participate in the fourth searchoperation to find the wreckage of theOiseau Blanc (White Bird), thelegendary plane flown by French pilotsCharles Nungesser and François Coli,that may have crossed the Atlantic12 days before Lindbergh in 1927.The association will try to find theLorraine-Dietrich engine that poweredthe White Bird, an important link to

Safran’s heritage. Thecompany Lorraine-Dietrich wasfounded in 1871, and wasacquired by Gnome & Rhône in1941. Gnome & Rhône wasnationalized in 1945, along withother French engine-makersreaching back to the dawn ofaviation, and renamed Snecma.

W LEARN MORE

An interview with Bernard Decré, presidentof the association La Recherche de l’Oiseau

Blanc, in the Media section of Safran’swebsite: www.safran-group.com

Rafale soon to bedeployed in India

Dassault’s Rafale has been selected by India tostart exclusive negotiations for the “contract ofthe century”, concerning the country’s

requirement for 126 modern fighters. Estimated atmore than 10 billion euros, this is one of the largestcontracts in military history. It also redefines France’sposition in the global defense market. Combat proven inAfghanistan and Libya, the Rafale is now in the processof earning its first export contract. Safran provides theengine and many other systems and equipment for thisstate-of-the-art multirole fighter.

W LEARN MORE

For details on Safran’s contribution to Rafale,see the Aerospace Applications section on the Safran website:www.safran-group.com

On January 30, 2012,

Safran and Thales

acquired Areva’s 20%

stake in Sofradir, their

equally-owned

subsidiary specialized in

infrared detectors. Each

partner now owns 50%

of Sofradir. This

transaction was planned

as part of the

partnership agreement

signed by Safran and

Thales on December 20,

2011 to bolster the

national infrareddetector industry. It will

also expand their access

to international markets,

a key objective to ensure

the financial viability of

this industry.

SAFRAN

INCREASES STAKE

IN SOFRADIR

Cédric Goubet,Executive Vice President,CFM International

“It’s both an immense chance and a great responsibility to be chosenfor one of the most impressive production programs in the historyof aviation, also the keystone in our exceptional transatlanticpartnership with GE*. Having reached the ‘age of maturity’, like CFMin fact, I a m very proud and very enthusiastic about being able todirectly contribute to building foundations for the future, throughthe development of the LEAP engine. Following in the footsteps ofits predecessor, the CFM56, the LEAP engine is already staking outa position as the market standard for single-aisle jets in the next 25years.”

Cédric Goubet, 40, supervises CFM-led programs, and p rovides anessential liaison between GE and Snecma. After several years withthe French government, in particular contributing to the definition anddeployment of the “competitiveness clusters” policy in 2004, he joinedSafran in 2010, reflecting his firm conviction that industry wouldremain a key to the future of France and its world-class position.

* CFM International is a 50/50 company of Safran and GE.

Decision-makers

© D . R .

© M i c h a e l H e m b e r g e r / S a f r a n U S A , I n c .

© D a s s a u l t A v i a t i o n - S . R a n d é

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden,a prestigious guest

On January 26, 2012, the VicePresident of the United States,Joe Biden, visited Safran USA

and Albany Engineered Composites inRochester, New Hampshire,accompanied by Safran’s Chairman andCEO, Jean-Paul Herteman. Followingthe visit, Vice President Biden gave aspeech on U.S. policies to boostemployment, especially via measuresdesigned to encourage partnershipsbetween the private sector anduniversities. Safran and Albany, whichexpect to hire some 400 employees in

the United States over the next tenyears, have teamed up with Great BayCommunity College in Portsmouth, NewHampshire, to set up a training programthat meets their skills requirements.This project also includes the openingof another plant specialized in the 3Dwoven RTM process, in the Lorraineregion of France. Safran has operatedin the United States for 40 years, in allthree of its core markets, through 31different companies. About 20% ofSafran’s consolidated sales aregenerated in the United States.

WUNITED STATES

WHERITAGE

© D . R .

new employees willbe hired worldwide bySafran in 2012.

6,000More than



Kening Liu,Chief Executive Officer, Safran China

“When China awakes… In fact, China woke up at the dawn of thiscentury, and has become a pivotal market in all sectors, especially

aviation and security. Safran has been anticipating this developmentfor over 20 years, and is investing in this Asian giant. The Group hasformed very close relations with both public and private customers,as well as universities.” Kening Liu, CEO of Safran China, supervises Safran’s business inChina, and is very pleased to see that the Group’s efforts to expandto his native land are bearing fruit. After studying in France and thenworking as a commercial banker in Asia, he was named managingdirector of the bank Arjil et Associés (Lagardère group). Kening Liu joined the Group in 2004 to support its development in China.

MARCHÉSNews Breaks


Decision-makersNew French wiring plant

Upgraded SaM146 version

The new 13,500 square meter(145,800 sq ft) “Jean Labinal”plant, named after the founder

of Safran group company Labinal,was inaugurated on February 21,2012 in Villemur-sur-Tarn,southwest France, by the

company’s Chairman and CEO

Karen Bomba, along with Jean-PaulHerteman, Chairman and CEO ofSafran, and Louis Gallois, ChiefExecutive Officer of EADS andChairman of the new industry thinktank, La Fabrique de l’Industrie,Henri-Michel Comet and Martin

Malvy, respectively prefect and

president of the Midi-Pyrénéesregion. Safran invested some 12million euros to ensure the long-term local presence of Labinal, theworld’s leading supplier of electricalwiring solutions for aircraft. Theplant has 730 employees. It

produces wiring harnesses andelectrical cabinets for EADS,provides product support servicesfor Airbus, and is also thecompany’s worldwide productioncoordination center. Villemur-sur-Tarn, the sixth Group plant openedsince 2010, clearly reflectsSafran’s industrial strategy, whichseeks to safeguard keytechnologies and skills by investingin its historic homeland.

On January 25, 2012,the French-Russianconsortium PowerJet

announced that the 1S18 versionof its SaM146 engine had beencertified by the European AviationSafety Agency (EASA). The SaM146powers the Sukhoi Superjet 100

regional jet. The new SaM146 1S18version offers higher takeoff thrust(16,100 lb, versus 13,500 lbfor the baseline version), enablingthe Sukhoi Superjet 100 to operateat higher maximum takeoff weightand thus carry more fuel to increaseits range.

WCAPITAL EXPENDITURES

WPROPULSION

Vega lifts off!

Europe’s new Vega lightlauncher, intended for smallsatellites, made a successful

first qualification flight on February13, 2012 from the Guiana SpaceCenter in French Guiana. Safrancontributed to this success throughtechnological innovations providedby its companies. Europropulsion,the joint subsidiary of SnecmaPropulsion Solide and Avio,

makes the solid rocket motor forthe launcher’s first stage – thelargest single-piece SRM with afilament wound structure. SnecmaPropulsion Solide also providesthe nozzle and the igniter casing.Expected to perform one or twolaunches a year, this new rocketdeveloped by ELV, a joint venture ofAvio and EADS, gives Arianespacea complete family of launchers.

WSPACE

© D . R .

Despite the financialcrisis and the currentcrisis of confidence inEurope, Safranposted very positivefinancial results in2011. Recurringoperating income

jumped 35% to 1.2billion euros, equal to10.1% of sales, andnet income rose 27%to 644 million euros.The Group’s orderbook also reached anall-time high of 43

billion euros. Safran isalso looking forwardto a continuedimprovement of itsresults in 2012 andbeyond, and willcontinue to invest incutting-edgetechnologies andinnovative products.

On October 3, 2011,Wenjiao Wang received theSafran Foundation prize formusic. This young pianiststarted her internationalcareer in France in 2003.Born in China in 1985,Wenjiao Wang entered theConservatoire NationalSupérieur de Musique et deDanse, winning a First Prize(2008) and earning aMaster’s in piano with aunanimous vote by the jury,along with a First Prize inchamber music (2010). Her

first album, Duo Azar,inspired by Spanish musicand tangos, was issued byPAI Records in 2011.

W LEARN MORE

A video of the concert given duringthe award ceremony, in theCommitments section on thewebsite: www.safran-group.com

STRONG RISE IN2011 EARNINGS

SAFRAN FOUNDATION AWARDS MUSIC PRIZE

© E

S A / C N E S / A r i a n e s p a c e

© P i e r r e S o i s s o n s



The world’s second leadingeconomic power, China isbetting on high-tech to winnew markets.

CHINA TODAY

4,004new single-aisle jetsin China by 2030

€4 .48trillionGDP in 2010

1.3billion inhabitants, themost populous countryin the world


MARCHÉSSpecial report

© I m a g e 1 0 0 / G r a p h i c O b s e s s i o n





© G

r a p h i c O b s e s s i o n

C

hina’s gross domestic product(GDP) jumped 10.3% in 2010,reaching $5.88 trillion and movingit to second place worldwide, ahead

of Japan, its leading trade partner.Former French prime minister and senator Jean-Pierre Raffarin is an acknowledged spe-cialist on China, a country he has visitedregularly since 1971, forming solid ties in bothgovernment and academic circles. He quicklycorrects an old preconception about China,pointing out that “Chinese industry is no lon-ger developing according to a low-cost model.It is now betting on high technology and addedvalue to drive its growth.”

While still discreet, this trend nonethelessstarted many years ago, underpinned by mas-sive investments both in China and in interna-tional markets. As far back as 1999, China wasthe world’s tenth largest exporter of high-techproducts. The transition was also very rapid.While high-tech products only accounted for10% of Chinese exports in 1992, they rose to25% ten years later, a rate already very close tothat of developed countries.

ENERGY GIANT“China is also investing heavily in nuclear power,”adds Raffarin. “This is vital for a country that has

to import a large share of the energy resources itneeds to ensure growth. But this focus doesn’tprevent it from also looking into technologiesneeded for sustainable development, becauseChina is fully aware that it is a major producer of carbon dioxide (CO

2), and that this situation

Now the world’s second leading economic power, China has only realized part of its hugepotential. But it has already reached a level of technology comparable in many ways to today’sdeveloped countries.

ECONOMY

THE REMARKABLE RISEOF THE CHINESE ECONOMY

cannot be sustained over the long haul.”Reflecting this awareness, in 2007 China

became the world’s leading producer of photo-voltaic solar panels, with total production capac-

ity of 1.18 GW. By 2010 four Chinese compa nieswere among the top ten worldwide in this sector,and two of them accounted for 28% of globalproduction. China has also embarked on theconstruction of eco-cities, including “positiveenergy” buildings with smart waste manage-ment. Last but not least, China’s auto industryis already working on an electric vehicle.

A PIVOTAL PLAYERChina has been investing in its aviation industryfor many years to support its development andcapitalize on strong domestic demand. As earlyas 2004, China was already the world’s thirdlargest air transport market, in terms of numberof passengers and freight carried. By 2020, theChinese government plans to have 244 airports,including 13 capable of handling 30 million pas-sengers a year. Over the next decade, the gov-ernment has projected average annual growthof 10% in passenger traffic and 14% for cargo.

Jean-Pierre Raffar in, heavily involved incooperation between France and China, con-firms that the latter has become a pivotal eco-nomic player. “But we shouldn’t be afraid,” headds. “China is not seeking domination at anyprice, but wants to collaborate with Europe to

ensure its development. It will play a major eco-nomic role because of the size of its domesticmarket and its weight in international trade.Furthermore, it will have a decisive impact onthe energy, sustainable development and trans-port markets, and on high technology marketsin general. So we have to team up with Chinesecompanies, not only to gain access to this hugedomestic market, but also to benefit from theinternational reach that these companies willinevitably gain. And that’s how our technolo-gies will endure in the global market.” ■

average annual growthsince the early 1990s

billion trade surplusin 2010

second largesteconomy in the worldsince 2010

10%

$183

2nd

“Chinese industry is now betting on hightechnology to grow.”

Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former French prime minister and senator

Biometrics anddetection systemsunder developmentThe 12th Chinese 5-year plan,launched in early 2011 andrunning until 2015, provides fora modernization of the country’scivil governance, as well as theassociated tools and documents.

“This will result in t he large-scaledistribution of biometric ID cards

and passports, along with thedeployment of the correspondingenrolment and managementsystems,” points out Jean-LucHidalgo, Chairman and CEO ofMorpho China. His companyhopes to duplicate its majorachievement in India, where itcontributes to the one million IDnumbers issued every day.Morpho China’s teams arealready gearing up for the officialpublication of the request forproposals (RFP), expected by theend of 2012.

Morpho also plans to developits business for explosive andillicit substance detectionsystems. “China wants topurchase latest-generationequipment to be sure that itsairplanes can fly anywhere in theworld,” notes Emmanuel Mounier,Chairman and CEO of MorphoDetection International. Whilethe growth of air traffic favorssales, current laws and

regulations are still an obstacle.For the moment, they onlystipulate X-ray detectionsystems, whereas Morpho’ssystems use the higher-performance computedtomography technology. Butthese regulations should change,opening a market for Morphothat is three times greater thanits current market.

Rest ofthe world

40% (7,660aircraft),includingLatinAmerica9%, Asia-Pacific14%

China

23%(4,004aircraft)

Europe

18%(3,447aircraft)

NorthAmerica

19%(3,638aircraft )

China domestic flights +7.3%

2%0 4% 6%

Billions of passenger-km per year

Increasevs. 2010

Europe domestic flights +3.6%

North Americadomestic flights

+2.6%

1,328

1,430

1,337

Single-aisle commercial aircraft orders by region, until 2030

Trends in the three leading passenger markets from now to 2030

© A

n t o i n e L e v e s q u e

Source:Safran





There’s China… and the rest ofthe world! According to MurielDuthon, director of the Asia zone atSafran, “In a few short years Chinawill be the global leader in aviation,

in terms of industrial development, airportcapacity and number of aircraft in service. Infact, China will eventually account for some20 percent of the global aviation market.”Bruno Cotté, Safran Executive Vice Presi-dent, International, notes that “The Chineseaircraft industry is strategic, and is one of thepriorities in China’s industrial development. Ittherefore enjoys an array of financial support,to help the country’s aim of eventually takinga place comparable to that of the Europeanand American manufacturers.”

These efforts culminated in 2008 when theChinese government created the Commer-cial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac).Various entities were transferred to this newcompany, including sections from differentaeronautical institutes of the Aviation Indus-try Corporation of China (AVIC, the coun-try’s aviation conglomerate), Avic Commer-cial Aircraft (ACAC) and parts of ShanghaiAircraft. In exchange, AVIC received 26% ofComac’s shares. Since then, Comac has been

PARTNERSHIPS

in charge of the production of the ARJ21regional jet, as well as the design and con-struction of the C919, China’s first mainlinecommercial jet. “The first flight of this jet-liner will mark the birth of a future aviationgiant,” says Jean-Luc Doublet, C919 programdirector at Safran. “China wants to developcomprehensive capabilities to make Comacthe world’s third leading commercial jetmanufacturer, behind Airbus and Boeing. Sothey are looking for partners who can helpthem meet this challenge.” Comac has alreadychosen the engine to power this new jet: theLEAP-1C made by CFM International, thejoint venture of Safran and GE.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPSFully aware of the extraordinary opportunityoffered by the Chinese market, Safran sou ghtto tighten its links with different players. In

November 2010, this cu lminate d in a g eneralpartnership with AVIC, coordinated by astrategy committee comprising corporate offi-cers from both companies who meet regularly.

The original agreement was then imple-mented in 2011 with the signature of threeMemorandums of Understanding (MoU). Thefirst defined the foundations for collabora-

tion on new-generation turboprop and otherturbine engines for the Chinese and interna-tional markets. The second MoU defined thecollaboration between the two companies onavionics for helicopters and airplanes. Thethird set out the conditions for collaborationon training programs between Safran Corpo-rate University and AVIC University.

The two companies’ partnership bolstersthe ties that were established some 30 yearsago on helicopters, based on the sale of aproduction license to China for the Arriel 1turboshaft engine. Safran helicopter enginespecialist Turbomeca took advantage of thereenergized relationship between Safranand the Chinese aviation industry to sign acontract in 2010 for 90 Arriel 2C engines tobe delivered to China Aviation TechnologyImport-Export Corporation and AVIC.

In early 2011, wiring specialist Labinal cre-ated a joint venture with Comac subsidiaryShanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Basedin Shanghai, this new company will design,develop, produce and support electrical wir-ing interconnection systems (EWIS). It wasalso chosen to produce the complete wiringsystem for the C919, a landmark contractsince Comac projects the production of some

2,000 jetliners in this family. “Following theselection of Safran to supply the completepropulsion system for the C919, this contractmarks another major step forwa rd in Safran’srole in the success of this new aircraft,” notesYves Leclère, Safran Executive Vice President,Transformation. The new Safran entitiesbeing created in China to handle all of thiswork will be even more effective, since theycan capitalize on the experience of establishedlocal entities, including Snecma Xinyi AirfoilCastings, Co. Ltd, the turbine blade castingcompany located in Guyiang, and SichuanServices Aero Engine Maintenance Company(SSAMC), the CFM56 maintenance, repair

Signature of a generastrategic partnershipbetween Safran and

AVIC on November 162010 in Zhuhai.

WHEN THE CHINESE AVIATIONINDUSTRY AWAKENS

joint ventures formedby Safran and Chinesecompanies

5

Comac has alreadybooked 235 orders forthe C919 (including60 options), whichshould make its firstflight in 2014. It will bepowered by the LEAP-1C from Safran andGE, the sole Westernengine for this aircraft.

©Safran

Over the last 30 yearsSafran has formed strongties with the majorplayers in the Chineseaviation industry. Today,this mutual trust hasbeen rewarded by severalstrategic partnerships.




In China, local production is a realadvantage! While cost is obviously afactor, Safran’s presence in China isabove all due to the need to be close toits end-customers, and better meet their

expectations. Today six Safran companies arelocated in China: Safran entities are based inBeijing and Shanghai near Comac, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty and Snecma in Suzhou, andTurbomeca in Beijing and Tianjin. Roundingout Safran’s presence are five joint ventures,in Guiyang, Chengdu, Xian and Shanghai.This strategy allowed Snecma to strengthenits position in China, by expanding opera-tions to Guiyang, where the precision foundrySnecma Xinyi Airfoil Castings, Co. Ltd.makes turbine parts for CFM56 engines.

LONG-STANDING PRESENCESafran’s presence in China actually dates

Solidly established in China for more than 40 years, Safran can speak with a single voiceto both its partners and the government.

LONG-STANDING INDUSTRIALCOLLABORATION

LOCATIONS

back to the early 1970s. The Chinese navyhad recently acquired Super Frelon helicop-ters and chose Turbomeca turboshaft engines– the Group’s first major contract in China.The pace picked up in the 1980s, as Safran’spredecessor companies signed an agreementwith AVIC (Aviation Industry Cor porationof China) concerning the production underlicense of Arriel 1 turboshaft engines andautopilot systems for the Z9 helicopter. Atthat point, the Group decided to open anoffice in Beijing to facilitate contacts.

The number of agreements has multipliedsince then, and Safran has become a top-tier partner to the Chinese aviation industry.More than half of t he mainline commercialjets now operating in China are powered byCFM56 turbofans, for a total of 2,800 enginesin service, and Turbomeca engines powerhalf of the helicopters in t he country. Other

Main entrance of theMessier-Bugatti-Dowty and Snecmasite in Suzhou.

employees

companies

CFM56 enginesin service

1,000

6

2,800

and overhaul (MRO) specialist in Chengdu.

FLIGHT DATA AT HANDAnother Safran company, electronics spe-cialist Sagem, signed a landmark agreementin June 2011 with the Center of Civil Avia-tion Safety Technology (CAST), a division ofthe Civil Aviation Administration of China(CAAC). Safran will be supplying its AnalysisGround Station (AGS), and will also supportCAST to improve the analysis of flight datafrom Chinese airlines. By enhancing main-tenance management, this semi-automaticflight data analysis system will help airlinesreduce their costs and improve safety. Alreadyused by 500 operators worldwide, including135 airlines, the AGS is the world leader inthis market.

In exchange for this support, CAST haspledged to support Sagem in its efforts tocertify its aircraft condition monitoring sys-tems (ACMS) and wireless data transmissionsystems. The two organizations also plan todevelop Sagem’s innovative range of Cassio-pée flight data management services for air-lines in China, to enhance their flight opera-tions and reduce costs.

The booming China aviation industry offersa host of opportunities, and Safran shouldhave an advantage in seizing these opportuni-ties because of its long-term partnership withkey players in the industry. ■

At the end of 2010Aircelle signed apartnershipagreement with Xi’anAircraft InternationalCorporation (XAIC), asubsidiary of AVIC,creating a jointventure dubbed SAVI.This new company willmanufacture andassemble nacellecomponents on behalfof Nexcelle, the jointventure betweenAircelle and MiddleRiver Aircraft Systems(MRAS), a subsidiary

of GE. Based in Xi’an,SAVI will supplynacelles to Comac forits new C919 jetliner.SAVI calls on threedecades ofcollaboration betweenAVIC and Safran tofulfill this mission, akey to the transitionfrom design toproduction. “We needsolid foundations,because this is a veryheady challenge. Our

joint venture will bethe first supplier inChina for commercial

aircraft nacelles.Capitalizing on thelong experience andexpertise of Aircelleand XAIC in turningout high-qualityaircraft components,this new company willfill the current ‘nacellegap’ in China.” The creation of thenew joint venture is avery promising firststep: “This agreementgives us an excellentoutlook for meetingC919 productionrequirements, whichcould expand evenfurther with work forother aircraftprograms.” SAVI doesindeed give Aircelle amajor advantage,namely favoredaccess to the boomingChinese market and asterling opportunity toexpand its globalpresence.

Chairmanand CEO, Aircelle

w VINCENTMASCRÉ

Chinese nacelles

© H

e n r i B r a u n e r


© Z

h o u J u n X i a n g / I m a g i n e c h i n a / S a f r a n

Safran in China

Production of CFM56 jet engine parts atthe Snecma plant inSuzhou.

© Z

h o u J u n X i a n g / I m a g i n e c h i n a / S a f r a n




Safran group companies have expanded theirpresence at the same time, including Mess-ier-Bugatti-Dowty, which outfits about one-third of the commercial jets in China withits landing gear and carbon brakes.

GROWTH OF THE SAFRAN BRANDIn 2008, Safran decided to better coordinate itscompanies in China. This move was designedto meet two primary objectives according toKening Liu, Safran China CEO: “We had togroup our forces to more effectively counterour American and British competitors. Andit was also important in dealings with theauthorities, who naturally have a differentattitude depending on whether they are deal-ing with isolated companies, or a world-classgroup capable of providing a broad, unifiedoffering of products and services.”

All personnel from Safran companies inChina were therefore grouped in the samepremises, part of Safran China. In particular,this office consolidated the support functionsand relations with opinion leaders and publicauthorities. “We have to focus on promot-ing the Group’s name so we can increase itsrecognition,” explains Liu. Building on thisnew strategy, Safran can start the Year of theDragon girded for battle. ■


"After seeing

production triplebetween 2002 and

2009, it should

double again by 2014.We have taken various

measures to ensure

that we have therequired resources to

meet this challenge.

For example, our newnumerical control

machine tools will be

fully prepared in thefactory so that they

can be up and running

as soon as we installthem. We have also

set up a program to

detect high potentialsso that we can be sure

of keeping our top

talents. The aim is toidentify the most

talented employees as

soon as possible, sothat we can provide

special training. This

training may include

periods in other plantsfor periods of up to

one month. In 2011,

we sent severalgroups of people to

our legacy plants so

they could familiarizethemselves with some

of the best machine

tools deployed bySafran."

General Manager,Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Suzhou

w JOSEPH LIM

Efficient talentmanagement

© D . R .

N

o company can play a role in thedevelopment of the aerospaceindustry without having engineersand managers who are specificallytrained to address the issues of this

leading-edge sector. Safran Corporate Univer-sity has therefore formed solid partnerships withleading counterparts in Chinese academia.

Since 2004, for instance, Safran has supportedthe education of Chinese students at leadingFrench engineering schools (Ecoles Centrales),and in 2005 it helped create the Ecole Cent-rale of Beijing as part of the Beijing Univer-sity of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The firstclass graduated in January 2012, in a ceremonyattended by a number of political and industryleaders from both France and China, includingMarc Ventre, Deputy Chief Executive Officerfor Operations at Safran.

An active partner in this school, Safran Cor-porate University contributes to the educationof Chinese engineering students by providingsupplementary expertise in both scientific andmanagerial subjects, through courses givenby the Group’s experts and senior managers.“Safran is heavily involved, and we expect a lotfrom this program, because our objectives matchthose of the young engineering graduates,” notesMarc Ventre. “A graduate of the Ecole Centraleof Beijing school offers outstanding skills, plus amulticultural, multilingual background. Thesethree qualities make them invaluable assets tohelp companies develop innovative projects inan international environment.” Safran of coursepromotes the quality of the courses given bycontributing its specific competencies, and alsosupports the professional integration of theseengineers by offering internships and jobs.

BRINGING STUDENTS CLOSERTO INDUSTRY Safran has signed another major partnership withthe Civil Aviation University of China (CAUC),with support from the Sino-European Institute of

By teaming up with the two leading aeronautical engineering schoolsin China, plus the corporate university run by the country’s leadingmanufacturer, Safran is further bolstering its credibility.

PARTNERSHIPS, THE KEY TOLONG-TERM RELATIONS

UNIVERSITIES

Aviation Engineering (SIAE). In addition to o ffer-ing internships and participating in conferences,Safran Corporate University runs a media libraryspecialized in aerospace. “Safran is now helpingdevelop a propulsion course as part of the Insti-tute’s program,” says Aude Guo, Asia relationsmanager at Safran Corporate University. “Weare setting up a hands-on teaching unit, wherestudents can practice what they have learned inthe classroom. In 2006 a CFM56-3 engine waseven donated to CAUC so students could becomemore familiar with how it operates.”

These types of training partnerships will alsohelp strengthen industrial ties between Safranand its Chinese partners, including Comac andAVIC. For example, Safran Corporate Universityand AVIC University signed an MoU in 2011 toformalize a collaboration that had already existedfor many years. “These training actions have beencarried out for AVIC since 1998, but this agree-ment marks a new stage in our collaboration,”notes Guo. “It is part of the strategic agreementssigned with AVIC, and is designed to developshared managerial methodologies, and supportfuture industrial teaming arrangements betweenour two companies.”■

students at the CivilAviation Universityof China

students at BeijingUniversity ofAeronautics andAstronautics

10,000

23,000

© D

R

“Thanks to my six-

month internship at

Safran, I discovered

that the aerospace

industry isn’t limited to

research and

production. It alsomeans collaboration

with partners,resulting in real win-win agreements. In the

West, this sector has

made tremendousprogress. Now it’s up

to China to accelerate

its development andcontribute to the

growth of the global

aerospace industry.”

Student at EcoleCentrale of Beijing

w JIANG WENCHAO

“I discovered the necessarycollaboration betweenindustrial partners”

Safran ChinaSafran Beijing liaison office

Aero engine maintenanceTraining center AEMTC

Snecma Xinyi AirfoilCastings Co., Ltd

Office/Company

J.V IndustrialSite

Services Universitycooperationtrainingcenter

Turbomeca HelicopterEngines Trading Co., Ltd (TBHE)

Beijing Turbomeca ChangkongAero-Engine Control EquipmentCo., Ltd

Snecma Suzhou Co. Ltd

Suzhou SME-CQ Automotive SafetyTechnology Co. Ltd

Messier-Dowty Co., Ltd

Xi’an Savi Nacelles Co., Ltd

Turbomeca HelicopterEngines Co., Ltd (TTHE)

Snecma Suzhou Co. Ltd, TianjinBranch

Shanghai SAIFEI Aviation EWISManufacturing Co. Ltd

Morpho Security System Co., Ltd



MARCHÉSPanorama


The Patroller drone is the most cost-effective solution for long-endurancesurveillance missions.

LONG-ENDURANCEOBSERVATION



MARCHÉSPanorama


A multirole, cost-effective droneFeaturing low production and operating costs,

because it calls on technologies already

developed by Sagem for the Sperwer MkII

tactical drone system, the Patroller meets

requirements for border and coastal surveillance

homeland security (major public events, high-

value sites), and civil security (natural disasters,

environmental protection).

Capable of operating in different airspaces,

thanks to its manned-flight capability, this drone

is deployed quickly by a reduced crew. The

ground control station is designed to be installed

either in a building, or on a light all-terrain vehicle

The Patroller also features a highly modular

design to fit a wide range of sensors. Depending

on the customer’s needs, it can be purchased,

leased or operated on a “by the hour” basis,

including maintenance.

1. Flight planThe aircraft’s design means that

Patroller can be flown either as a

drone or with a pilot, depending

on needs and regulations.

2. OptronicsPatroller’s optronics pod means

it can operate day or night. Itspowerful onboard sensors allow

it to read a car’s license plate

from a distance of several

kilometers.

3. AircraftThe aircraft offers excellent flight

qualities, enabling it to cruise at

over 20,000 feet for 30 hours,

with two extra fuel tanks under

its wings.

4. ControlThe ground control station is the

same as for Sperwer, the tactical

drone system produced by Sagem

(Safran), already deployed by

several NATO armed forces.

5. EquipmentThe Patroller can be fitted with anumber of other sensors: maritime

radar or a synthetic aperture

radar (SAR), or even a radio

eavesdropping system.

6. MaintenanceThe Patroller’s airframe is certified

to EASA civil aviation standards.

All-composite, it is robust and

highly reliable, and is powered by

a proven, quiet engine.

1

2

3

5

4

© P i e t e r B a s t i a a n s / S a f r a n



© P h i l i p p e W o d k a - G a l l i e n / S a g e m




MARCHÉSMarkets

A similar cultural and industrial heritage, as well as geographical proximity, have fosteredSafran’s development in the United Kingdom, enabling it to deploy a broad array of expertise.

FOUR DECADES

OF MUTUAL TRUST

UNITED KINGDOM

© A

i r b u s

employees in the UK

local subsidiaries(two working inpartnership withRolls-Royce)

2,056

10

market. It owes its original presence in the coun-try to subsidiary Microturbo, which supplies thepropulsion system for the Storm Shadow cruisemissile. Turbomeca has considerably expandedits footprint in the UK in recent years, so muchso that “the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) isTurbomeca’s second-largest customer after theFrench military,” according to Frédéric Four-ciangue, CEO of Turbomeca UK. “If we add off-shore operators, police departments and privatecustomers, we have a total fleet of some 1,200

engines in service in the United Kingdom.” Thissuccess is due to investments aimed at developinga strong local presence in terms of both manu-facturing (turbine oil pumps, air starters for theEurofighter, components for auxiliary powerunits, etc.) and technical support. The company’slong-standing partnership with Rolls-Royce onthe RTM322 turboshaft engine has also madean important contribution.

Safran’s strategy of establishing a strong localpresence underpins its comprehensive serviceoffering in the UK, exemplified in the supportnow being provided for the Arriel, Arrius andMakila 2 engine fleets. “Our recently acquired

Makila 2 capability allows us to provide bettersupport for EC225 helicopter operations over the North Sea,” notes Frédéric Fourciangue. Tur-bomeca is also part of a consortium bidding forthe support services contract for the Makila 1engines powering the RAF’s Puma Mk2 helicop-ters. “Budget constraints will continue to presenta major challenge in the next few years. Whichmeans we have to propose innovative solutions,such as “support-by-the-hour” contracts, which areparticularly valued in the UK,” adds Fourciangue.

INNOVATION AND A STRONGINDUSTRIAL BASEOther Safran group companies also operate inthe United Kingdom. Sagem, for example, hassupplied infrared sights for the Challenger 2 tanksince the early 2000s. This first success has nowbeen followed by a contract to supply JIM LRinfrared binoculars. “Initially, small quantities

T

he UK is a very important market forSafran, as David Oldroyd, Safran’sUK Director, explains: “The Group isa long-standing supplier here, and our

companies have set up a number oflocal operations to stay in close touch with ourcustomers. At the same time, we have formedpartnerships with schools such as the Universityof Sheffield.”

SNECMA, A LONG-STANDINGPARTNERSafran company Snecma’s British adventurebegan back in 1964, when it partnered theaero-engine maker Rolls-Royce on the Olympusjet engine powering the Concorde supersonictransport. The technical and human achieve-ments of this era paved the way for the successenjoyed today by the CFM56 engine, manufac-tured by a GE-Snecma joint venture. “Around700 CFM56 engines are in service in the UK,”explains Bruno Castola, Snecma’s RegionalSales Director. “The sheer size of this fleet isdriven by the UK’s strong travel culture, whichhas given rise to a number of major tour opera-tors as well as sophisticated and successful low-cost airlines. With more than 200 aircraft fromthe Airbus A320 family, for example, EasyJet isthe world’s leading operator of the CFM56-5B.”

All different versions of the CFM56 are in ser-vice in the UK, starting with the CFM56-2 thatpowers the Royal Air Force’s AWACS planes.Snecma signed a through-life maintenance con-tract for this engine in June 2003, scheduled torun until 2025. CFM56-3, CFM56-5 and CFM-6-7B engines are also present in the UK, equip-ping Boeing 737 Classic, Boeing 737NG andAirbus A320 single-aisle twinjets operated byairlines like Thomson Airways, Thomas Cook,British Airways, British Midland Airways, Mon-arch and Titan, as well as Virgin Atlantic’s Air-bus A340s.

Snecma has also gained a foothold in the UK

maintenance market, previously dominated byGE. “Snecma and GE have set up a partnershipto provide joint maintenance services under theCFM banner,” says Bruno Castola. “The agree-ment covers new CFM56 orders, as well as theupcoming LEAP engine, already being commer-cialized in this market.”

A STRONG LOCAL PRESENCEHelicopter engine manufacturer Turbomeca(Safran group) is also a key player in the British

UK biometrics market forges ahead

With the August 2012 start date for the London Olympics fast

approaching, homeland security – particularly at airports – has become a

major headache for the UK. Morpho UK (a Safran group company) has

more than a decade’s worth of experience in partnering Britishgovernment agencies in biometric identification applications. In addition to

its involvement in providing security systems for Olympic facilities in

London, the company is also a key stakeholder in the UK’s IRIS automatedbiometric border control system. Based on recognition of the unique

pattern of the iris in each person’s eye, the system has already been used

by almost four million passengers at airports in London, Birmingham andManchester. Morpho UK also supplies the IAFS (Immigration and Asylum

Fingerprint System) in use at UK borders. Finally, the explosive detection

systems used for baggage screening at London Heathrow andManchester airports are also supplied by Safran.

On this British AirwaysAirbus A380, Safrannotably provides thenacelles, wiring andavionics equipment.



MARCHÉS


Markets

© B

o n d / E u r o c o p t e r

were supplied for use by special forces,” explainsPascal Brossard, head of the land combat depart-ment. “These binoculars have received a verypositive performance assessment, opening thedoor for bigger orders of several hundred unitsfor conventional forces.” Peter Schmid, programdirector at Vectronix, a subsidiary of Sagem,explains that his company is supplying morethan 4,000 Commander Target Locator (CTL)systems for the UK’s FIST (Future IntegratedSoldier Technology) program, as well as 2,300laser rangefinders and ballistic computers for theFIST grenade launcher, deliveries of which areslated to begin in 2013.

In the aviation sector, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty,Labinal and Aircelle between them employ

almost 2,000 people in the United Kingdom,providing a strong industrial base. Aircelle,which manufactures nacelles for aero-engines,has its second largest operation in the UK, withover 800 employees.

Messier-Bugatti-Dowty designs, develops andmanufactures landing systems for a wide range

of aircraft at its facility in Gloucester. This yeargot off to a great start when the company secureda contract from British Airways to produce thewheels and carbon brakes for its fleet of 24 Boeing787 aircraft, scheduled to enter service in 2013.

Labinal’s experience, unusually, cuts acrossboth the aerospace and automobile industries.Having worked closely with Airbus in Bristol,and subsequently with Bombardier, the companywas renamed Safran Engineering Services UK in2010. Its activities currently encompass engineer-ing support for landing gear, nacelles and thrustreversers in col laboration with Messier-Bugatti-Dowty and Aircelle. Techspace Aero also oper-ates in the UK via test bench and test equipmentcontracts, notably for Rolls-Royce, delivered

under the Cenco International brand.Safran’s diversified presence in the UnitedKingdom constitutes a powerful asset, allow-ing the Group to balance its activities acrossthe civil/military and manufacturing/supportsectors – a surefire recipe for measured and sus-tainable growth.■

Bond OffshoreHelicoptersspecializes intransporting peopleand equipmentbetween Aberdeen inScotland, and the oilplatforms in the NorthSea. The AS 332Super Puma shownhere is powered bytwin Turbomeca Makila2A1 engines.

The new-generation A400M airlifter,slated to enter service in early 2013,is a multirole transport that canperform both tactical and strategicmissions. The military transport has

been certified by the European Aviation SafetyAgency (EASA), including its vital inertialnavigation system, designed and built by Sagem.

Each aircraft has three of these systems, eachweighing about ten kilos (22 lb). But althoughsmall, the inertial navigation system is still akey to successful missions. The aircraft has tobe able to navigate accurately in all theaters ofoperation, day or night and under all weatherconditions, and this performance in factdepends on its navigation systems.

HYBRID BUT AUTONOMOUS“The A400M’s navigation systems comprise

laser gyros and accelerometers based on proventechnologies,” explains Fabrice Delhaye, headof Sagem’s Navigation department. “Theyalso collect data on airspeed, and are set up ina hybrid configuration with a latest-generationmilitary GPS receiver, also designed by Sagem.This is the only military GPS unit developedto civil aviation standards.” Of course, Sagem’sinertial navigation system can also operate

The new Airbus A400M military transport has been certified by the European civil aviationauthority, a major milestone for the aircraft and for Sagem, the Safran group company thatdesigned and built its inertial navigation system.

A400M PASSESCERTIFICATION MILESTONE

NAVIGATION

A400M aircraftordered by eightcountries

flight-hours neededfor EASA certification

174

3 ,700

Safran at the heart of the A400M

Nine Safran companies play a pivotal role on the A400M, as supplier

of the engine, landing systems, wiring, navigation system andmaintenance-aid system. One of the Group’s main contributions is of

course the 11,000-shaft-horsepower TP400 turboprop engine, with

four of these powering each aircraft. This engine is designed andproduced by Europrop International, a consortium grouping Snecma

with three European counterparts. The 12-wheel landing gear,

produced by Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, enables the A400M to take offand land in short distances, even on unprepared airstrips.

independently, without using the data fromGPS, whose signals remain under Americanmilitary control.

“These systems feature purpose-designedalgorithms, coupled with computing powertwenty times greater than on previous genera-tion systems,” notes Fabrice Delhaye. “Whatthis means is that the aircraft permanently cal-culates its precise position in space, an absolutenecessity if it is to avoid all threats.”

With this certification, Sagem has passed avery important milestone, one that may wellopen the door to a potentially huge civil avia-tion market for many years to come. ■

Inertialnavigationsystem




MARCHÉSMarkets

It’s just a small plastic card a couple ofinches square, but it has an embed-

ded chip, making it a smart card. Andthat makes it perfect for today’s complexnational healthcare systems, since it can

store data on the cardholder’s identity and socialbenefits and securely transmit this data to theappropriate administrative centers.

“It’s a real win-win situation,” says JérômeBoudineau, ID Documents product line man-ager at Morpho, a Safran company. “By makingthe healthcare document and reimbursementprocess paperless, we reduce processing costsfor insurance providers. Going electronic alsosimplifies procedures and guarantees users thatadministrative procedures will be faster. Last butnot least, the inherent security in a smart cardhelps limit fraud.”

Each country has its own specific requestsin fact. “Unlike electronic payment or telecom-munications, for instance, we do not yet haveinteroperability standards for healthcare sys-tems,” says Didier Sérodon, director of ID doc-uments and payment programs at Morpho. “Soeach country has its own strategy and prod-uct needs. Some only ask us to produce andpersonalize the card; others buy the operatingsystem, for which we develop custom-tailoredfunctions to suit their needs; and still othersget a turnkey package.”

GLOBAL PRESENCEIn terms of national systems, Morpho nowhas three main clients, namely India, Franceand Germany. India created a health insur-ance program in 2008, targeting citizens livingin poverty, or about 300 million persons. Asmart card including the beneficiary’s rights, aswell as a biometric module to prevent identitytheft, is issued to each eligible family. Morphowas one of the companies chosen in 2009 to

ELECTRONICS

Germany has opted for a smart card to manage its healthcareservices, like a number of other countries that want to givetheir citizens a more cost-effective health system.

handle enrolment of eligiblepersons and the production

and distribution of cards. Todate it has issued more thansix million cards, giving some25 million people access tohealthcare services.

In France, Sagem signeda contract with the Sesam-Vitale consortium in 2004 tosupply the operating system forthe Vitale 2 healthcare card,and this contract was renewedat the end of 2004. Sagem alsowon a four-year contract in Sep-tember 2011 to produce and per-sonalize these cards.

Furthermore, in August 2011, Mor-pho was the first manufacturer to beauthorized to produce Germany’s newhealthcare e-card – and it will deliverover 30 million of these cards. Dubbed “eGKGeneration 1 plus”, this card will be producedat the Flintbek plant in Germany, near Kiel.Ten percent of eligible Germans have receivedtheir new cards to date, and Morpho hasalready established itself as a market leader interms of the total number of cards produced.

THE CHALLENGE OF DATAPROTECTION“Despite these diverse needs, expectations arethe same,” notes Didier Sérodon. “By that Imean security and confidentiality across theentire system, and a reliable, efficient produc-tion facility. Our operating systems are system-atically tested by outside labs to be officially cer-tified, so we can guarantee maximum securityfor our customers. We can call on seven produc-tion facilities around the world, in Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, India, Mexico, Russia and

How do you protect

the data embedded

in a healthcare

e-card?

First, remember that

these cards don’t

contain the patient’smedical file, but just

personal data, such as

a social securitynumber, the affiliated

center, etc., along with

security componentssuch as

authentication and

signature keys. Toensure data

protection and

integrity, these

security mechanismsare used on both

hardware and

software. Hardwarecountermeasures,

such as sensors to

detect disturbances,are embedded directly

on the chip. Software

countermeasuresbolster security by

encrypting data for

instance, as well as

checking integrity and

controlling access.

Where is Morpho

focusing its efforts?

When we design a

system, not only do

we take into accountthe product-related

security risks, but also

functional constraintssuch as processing

time, the size of the

code, etc. At the sametime, we are

continuing our

research on smart

cards. We keep oureyes open, and use

new scenarios and

attack methods toimprove our analysis

of product

vulnerability. And weare working on new

measures to protect

our products fromthese attacks.

Smart card securitymanager, Morpho

w THANH HA LE

Safeguarding data

Colombia, plus eight personalization units. Allof these facilities meet the demanding securityrequirements of our customers.”

Morpho is now Number 4 worldwide in thissector, and is gearing up for the future by contin-uously improving its chips, in terms of security,transfer speed, contactless detection and more.As Jérôme Boudineau says, “A number of inno-vations are possible. All depends on what thegovernments are willing to invest to develop theassociated management infrastructures.” ■

million smart cards/day produced byMorpho

million healthcaree-cards to be issuedby Morpho in Germany

2

33

© D . R .

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i n o

SMART CARDS FOR HEALTHCARE,

A SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVE



The heat released by the

tank's engine enables themissile to locate its target.

STEPMissile flight:

the closer the missile,

the more accurate

the sensors.

STEPThe target

is destroyed

STEPMissile launch:the sensors in theseeker take over.

STEP

The operator identifies a target using the thermal imagerin the launcher station.

The information is transmitted

to the missile's seeker.

The gunner locks-in the seeker its target.

1

SEEKER

2 3 4

MISSILE

SENSORS

LAUNCHER STATIONSIGHT EQUIPPED WITHTHERMAL IMAGER

DATA GATHEREDBY SENSORS

LAUNCHER STATION

TARGET


MARCHÉSMarkets

HIGH-TECH

MISSILES

DEFENSE

long reserved to air defense missions, wherethe heat sources are very distinct from the skybackground, this technology has made suchprogress that it will be increasingly used inground-based systems, where the environmentis often much more complex,” notes Domi-nique Lévy. Adds Hélène Lecœuche: “Sagemshould supply the seeker for a new-generationmedium-range antitank weapon, offering arange of up to four kilometers, which shouldenter service towards 2017.”

LOOKING AHEADSagem provides other equipment for missilelauncher stations, including thermal imag-ers for the Milan, Eryx and Mistral missiles.For the Mistral, explains Luc Thépaut, sales& marketing manager at Sagem’s Optronics

and Defense division, “The imager will soonbe replaced by an optronics sight that is morecomplete, since it integrates night vision viaan infrared channel, daytime vision and geo-graphic readings for the target. We’re alreadyworking on more highly integrated launcherstations, capable of processing the data sentby the missile’s seeker, and communicatingwith other systems, such as the FELIN soldiermodernization system.” Hélène Lecœuche andDominique Lévy agree that tomorrow’s seek-ers will b e increasingly multimode, combininginfrared and laser detectors for instance, orthey will operate using non-cooled infrareddetectors, which are much more robust, as onthe upcoming MMP medium-range missile.

It looks like missiles may continue to beblockbuster hits for many years to come. ■

© L

o r e n z o T i m o n

Over the last three decades, movieblockbusters have familiarizedthe public with the redoubtableefficiency of missiles using hom-ing heads to hit their target with

unerring precision. But behind this fiction is infact a level of real technical expertise that fewmanufacturers can achieve. One member ofthis select club is Sagem, the Safran companythat designs and produces seekers. These are infact sophisticated systems that enable a missile,after being fired, to home in on its target.

“We have produced more than 30,000 seek-ers over the course of our forty year partnershipwith MBDA France, the leading missile manu-facturer in Europe,” says Dominique Lévy, salesmanager for major accounts in Sagem’s Avion-ics division.

COMBINING TECHNOLOGIESThere are different types of seekers, tailoredto different targets, using i nfrared, laser, iner-tial-GPS, electromagnetic or other technolo-gies and combinations of technologies. WhileSagem has developed expertise in most of thesetechnologies, it is more specialized in infraredseekers, capable of tracking a target by follow-ing its thermal signature. What this means issimply the heat it emits, like the hot exhaustfrom a jet engine or a tank engine.

For a seeker to be effective, it has to combineseveral advanced technologies, mainly optronics(electro-optical), inertial sensors and electron-ics. “We developed expertise in sensors as wellas the corresponding optics,” points out HélèneLecœuche, director of the guidance program at

Sagem Avionics. “We also master the complex,high-speed cooling systems needed for thesesensors, which generally operate at temperaturesdown to -200°C.” Sagem is also developing theimage processing software needed to give themissile a clear, high-resolution image of its tar-get under all conditions (vibrations, heat, move-ment, etc.), without being tricked by the decoysor countermeasures deployed by the target tothrow its attacker off track. Another area ofexpertise at Sagem is platform stabilization sys-tems, which enable the missile to stay locked onits target under all circumstances. Fast and agile,these systems are very similar to those used inthe gyrostabilized pods carried by drones.

“While infrared detector technology was

More than

infrared seekersdelivered

years of experience

30,000

40

From navigation to optics andoptronics, Safran marshals cutting-edge expertise in many areas todevelop the missile homing heads,also known as seekers. With theobjective of being ever more

accurate, to increase efficiency andeliminate collateral damage.

Franco-British teamworkSagem teamed up with Selex Galileo Ltd. of

Great Britain to carry out a study on how toattenuate development risks on the seeker for

the upcoming FASGW(H)/ANL missile (Future

Anti-Surface Guided Weapon (heavy)/Anti-

Navire Léger), to be jointly developed by MBDAFrance and MBDA UK. Its seeker will feature a

non-cooled infrared channel and, on option, a

semi-active laser channel, Offering a range ofabout 20 kilometers, this new anti-ship missile

will be fired from helicopters and should enterservice in 2016.




Safran is recognized for the quality ofits products, its employees’ passionfor their work and a proven abilityto innovate, but we want to furtherboost our recognition in the coming

years because we will have to hire many newemployees to keep pace with our growth andthe many new contract wins,” says Jean-LucBérard, Corporate Senior Vice President forHuman Resources. An analysis of the expecta-tions of young engineers shows that they arenot only passionate about high technology, butthey want their professional lives to have mean-ing. As Pascale Dubois, Safran Vice Presidentfor Communications, explains, “For them, it’sfundamental to be able to contribute to thegrowth of an enterprise where everybody hasa role and feels they are useful, and to embrace

the company’s mindset and management style.At Safran, we believe that we can legitimatelymeet all these expectations, but we can alsofurther improve our recognition by spotlightingwhat sets us apart, making us one of the mostattractive employers in our market.”

Safran has therefore started the work neededto shape its employer brand. The currenttagline, Key Missions, Key Technologies, hasadded a third facet, Key Talents. The Grouphas also launched a large-scale advertisingcampaign, targeting all potential candidates,whether new graduates or experienced hands,across different media: daily newspapers, thegeneral and trade press, billboards in train sta-tions, and of course online, on high-traffic sitesaround the world, as well as the main job sitesin France.

Safran is growing in all markets, generating extensive demand for new employees. But to bolsterits attractiveness in the eyes of candidates it has to enhance its employer brand.

A MORE ATTRACTIVE EMPLOYER

RECRUITMENT

© J

a m e s H a r d y / P h o t o A l t o / G r a p h i c O b s e s s i o n

©

E r i c D r o u i n / S n e c m a

MARCHÉSInsight

RECRUITMENT “2.0”In addition to these job boards, now consid-ered almost classic, Safran is also buildingout its “Recruitment 2.0”, based on socialnetworks and collaborative working tools.The priority is to establish a dialog with can-didates, by calling on the Group’s expertsto interact with all interested communities.Safran’s e-ambassadors will provide straight-forward answers to all the questions asked bythese young candidates. The dialog will behosted on social network platforms dedicatedto human resources, Viadeo and Linkedin.

Safran is also on Twitter of course and itsjob offers are accessible via the Group’s Face-book page. Furthermore, along with this newrecruitment ad campaign, Safran revampedits own job board and gave it a new name andaddress: saf ran-talents.com

STRENGTHENING EXCELLENCEIN TRAININGSafran is also maintaining its focus to ensurethat current training programs add ress evolv-ing professional needs, for instance by extend-ing its traditional recruiting targets beyondengineering schools. At the end of 2011,Safran began building the foundations for along-term partnership with Pierre et MarieCurie University (Paris VI), creating an Inno-vative Programs Management chair in part-nership with the HEC business school andISAE aerospace engineering school. The aimis to strengthen excellence in traini ng tomor-row’s engineers-managers, and also to attractcandidates to the aerospace sector.

Furthermore, the Safran network of ambas-sadors, comprising about 150 employees, istasked with cementing ties between Safranand leading universities and schools. TheseGroup representatives, generally graduates ofthe schools in question, may develop a stra-tegic relationship with the institution, makea presentation on their job, or even teachclasses, while continuing their managerialfunction at Safran. ■

Catherine Ibanez

joined Safran in 2006after graduating from

the Supelec electrical

engineering school. “I wanted to work in

the aerospaceindustry,” she explains.

“I had done an

internship in a majorindustrial group, and I

was very interested in

how engines operate.So I answered an ad

and joined the

Systems division atHispano-Suiza.”

Contrary to what was

recommended by herschool, Catherine did

not change companies

after three years tomove up in

responsibility andremuneration. “Career

development at

Safran was natural,facilitated by the large

number of

opportunities and anHR department that

takes a real interest in

people’s objectives.When I wanted to

change jobs, HR

perfectly understoodand offered me a

position at Snecma, as

contracting authorityfor the electrical

thrust reverseractuation system on

the LEAP-1C.”

Catherine also pointsout that, while certain

companies

comparable to Safranare sometimes more

aggressive in starting

salaries, careerdevelopment does not

keep pace. “At Safran,

we never stopdeveloping, as long as

we’re willing to invest

our time and energy inlearning new jobs.”

System architect,Snecma

w CATHERINE IBANEZ

“We never stopdeveloping”

© E

r i c D r o u i n / S n e c m a

“

new employees tobe hired by Safran in2012, nearly half inFrance

of new hireswill be women

of all employees takeat least one trainingcourse a year

6,000

25%

70%

More than



MARCHÉSInterview


Safran Magazine: You took deliver y ofyour first two Airbus A319 jets on March14, 2012 and Syphax Airlines startedoperation three days later. What inspiredyou to create this airline and what is yourbusiness model?Mohamed Frikha: Sfax is the country’s sec-ond largest city, with 600,000 inhabitants,and also the second leading industrial andeconomic center in Tunisia. It has excellentinfrastructures, but the airport, which costsome 20 million dinars (10 million euros), isunderutilized, offering only two flights a weekto Paris and links to very few other destina-tions. Since Tunisair does not offer daily flightsfrom Sfax for reasons of profitability, we thinkwe can meet this goal by setti ng up operationsdirectly in the city and drawing inspirationfrom low-cost carrier management techniques.In terms of our market position, Syphax Air-lines is offering scheduled flights at very com-petitive prices, so we’re somewhere between alegacy airline and a low-cost carrier. Initially,we’re going to be offering flights to Paris, Lyon,Marseille and Nice, as well as Casablanca,Tripoli and Istanbul, and possibly Rome andMilan. We signed a leasing agreement with AirBerlin for two Airbus A319s, for a total budgetof about $55 million. The aircraft are just ayear and a half old, so t hey’re like new. Leasingwas the best choice for us because the averagetime needed to take delivery of a new aircraftof this type is three years – and we couldn’twait that long!

You’re a n eng ineer, with proven exper-tise in new technologies through yourcompany Telnet. Where did you get theidea of starting an airline?M. F.: In fact, this project is the result of anextraordinary set of circumstances. It firstcame up about ten months ago following adiscussion with a group of businessmen, espe-cially Monsour Moalla, a former minister andbanker, who is from Sfax, like me. I took theidea seriously, studied its feasibility and learnedabout the procedures involved. For instance,I talked with the transport minister in theprovisional government, Salem Miladi, whoencouraged me, as did Béji Caïd Essebsi, thePrime Minister. The recent initial public offer-ing for Telnet generated cash and enabled meto finance the operation myself, and advancemuch more quickly than if we had had to finda group of investors through the banks. My

“The private sector must play a full-fledged rolein the national recovery effort.”

Mohamed Frikha

On December 17, 2010, Tunisia entered a new era. That was when Mohamed Frikha, 47, rose toa new challenge by creating Syphax Airlines, opening up access to Tunisia’s second largest city,Sfax – an impressive achievement given the post-revolution conditions in Tunisia. Last year’sinitial public offering for Telnet, the company he had founded back in 1994, was a success. Hiscompany, a partner to Safran since the outset, is now North Africa’s leader in technologicalinnovation and the development of onboard systems. A graduate of France’s prestigiousPolytechnique engineering school, Mohamed Frikha is deeply attached to his country, andbelieves in its medium and long-term growth potential because of Tunisia’s robust economicfoundations. However, this growth will depend on striking a new balance in regional trade andchanging the mentality of business leaders.

TUNISIA TAKES OFF

Interviewwith MohamedFrikha,Chairman and

CEO of Telnet

© S o

p h i a B a r a k e t

PresidentialBaccalaureatePrize (recognizingthe very bestcandidates)

Joins AlcatelAdmittedto EcolePolytechniquein Paris

S ta rt s Te ln et C re at es Sy pha xAirlines

1982 19891984 1994 2011

Telnet• 600 engineers at six sites, in Tunisia, France and Germany

• 28 million euros in revenues in 2010