News

SELEX Galileo, a Finmeccanica company, and US-headquartered Owlstone Nanotech Inc. are pleased to announce that they have formed a strategic agreement covering the exclusive use by SELEX Galileo of Owlstone's FAIMS (Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectroscopy) sensor for chemical sensing in the military market. Owlstone's FAIMS sensor and SELEX Galileo's chemical detection and identification algorithms were previously combined to create the Nexsense C chemical detection system.

SELEX Galileo of Finmeccanica announces the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ATMOS Sistemas (ATMOS) Ltda of Brazil. The MoU marks the beginning of a relationship between SELEX Galileo, key player in the Defense Electronic market, and ATMOS Sistemas and outlines the way for the collaboration in airborne AESA radar support and development. Initial focus will be on the Raven ES-05 AESA fire control radar for the Saab Gripen NG, which is competing strongly in the Brazilian Air Force new fighter programme, and on aircraft future configurations.

SELEX Galileo of Finmeccanica has been awarded new contracts worth approximately 16 million Euros for its Mini Colibrì and Lothar systems, strengthening the Company's Electro- Optical business. The Mini Colibrì will be installed on the Esercito Italiano (Italian Army) Lince vehicle and the Lothar systems are to be installed on the Italian Army's VBM Freccia vehicle.

SELEX Galileo's Falco high-end Tactical Unmanned Aerial System (TUAS) has recently completed a six month campaign of extensive flight tests executed under extreme weather conditions: from the ice of Northern Europe to the 50° Celsius of the desert. The system has demonstrated aeronautical stability throughout the flights and delivered clear and accurate imaging during all its surveillance missions.

SELEX Galileo's Edinburgh site has been awarded the prestigious Investors in People (IiP) Gold Standard. IiP's independent assessment involved an intensive series of interviews carried out with a random selection of employees. The interviews gave the IiP Assessors an accurate picture of the company's policies, benefits and daily working practices.

SELEX Galileo of Finmeccanica is delighted to announce that Team Stellar has been awarded an Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Innovation Award in the Team category. Team Stellar developed SATURN against a user requirement for up to date situational awareness and local intelligence, in environments encountered in current theatres, which could significantly improve force protection at Battlegroup level and below.

Several of the Company's best new ideas were on show at SELEX Galileo's 2009 Innovation Awards. The event, which this year took place at the Company's Basildon site, is designed to highlight the value the Company places on research and innovation among its employees. The first place winner of the SELEX Galileo awards will participate in the Finmeccanica Innovation awards. Each year the event generates new ideas and projects that go on to result in real industrial applications and create value across the Company.

On Monday 16th November, General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue, Chief of Defence Materiel, visited SELEX Galileo's facilities in Basildon, Essex, UK. General O'Donoghue was welcomed by Alberto de Benedictis, Chief Executive Officer Finmeccanica UK and by SELEX Galileo Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Steve Mogford. The General during his visit was briefed on the breadth of SELEX Galileo's and the Finmeccanica UK Battlespace Solutions team's capabilities and took part in demonstrations of next generation technologies available to the UK Ministry of Defence.

SELEX Galileo has acquired the US company Lasertel, a key supplier of laser diodes. The acquisition will strengthen SELEX Galileo's position in the US laser market and offer growth opportunities both with SELEX Galileo and through DRS Technologies. Lasertel will continue to act as a merchant supplier of laser diodes in the defence sector, and will continue to serve graphics, medical and industrial markets.

SELEX Galileo, of Finmeccanica, and King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the in country development of joint UAV technologies and electro-optic sensors to equip the Jordan special operations forces.

SELEX Galileo of Finmeccanica has been awarded a 26 million Euro contract for the supply of SM-1S radar seekers for a Middle East customer. The award comes as part of an MBDA contract for the provision of MARTE MK2/N anti ship missiles. SELEX Galileo's SM-1S seekers are the latest generation of the Company's Active RF anti-ship seeker family. Over 1000 units have been developed and produced, and these have gone on to perform successfully in more than 120 launch campaigns.

SELEX Galileo, of Finmeccanica, is pleased to announce the presentation of the Company's new VigilX system at the Dubai Air Show 15-20th November 2009. The system allows pilots and flight crew to "see through" the hull of their aircraft by fusing onboard sensor data to generate a 360° panoramic integrated picture around the aircraft.

SELEX Galileo, of Finmeccanica, and its partners have been awarded a five and a half year contract worth in excess of £350m by BAE Systems for 'Captor' Radar and 'Praetorian' Defence Aids Systems on behalf of Eurofighter GmbH. The Contract will see SELEX Galileo provide a full support service on the Eurofighter Typhoon fleets for the Air Forces in UK, Germany, Spain and Italy.

SELEX Galileo of Finmeccanica has been awarded a contract for the supply of 21Titan 385ES-HD airborne turrets for the UK MoD's Chinook fleet SH and SF FLIR capability. The contract also provisions for the upgrade of 4 existing Chinook Titan 385ES turrets to the HD configuration. The total contract value is in excess of £10 million and the turrets will be delivered between February 2010 and July 2011.

SELEX Galileo, part of the Finmeccanica Group, is a key, reliable partner of the United Arab Emirates, and is taking part in a number of challenging initiatives that are currently ongoing or under development in the Gulf region. At the 2009 Dubai Airshow (from 15 to 19 November), SELEX Galileo will be demonstrating a number
of its core technologies and products.

SELEX Galileo, a Finmeccanica company, and its partner companies have been awarded a five-year contract worth more than GBP 350 million by BAE Systems for support services for Captor radar and Praetorian "Defense Aids Systems" for the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft currently in service with the air forces of the four partner countries: Germany, Italy, the UK and Spain.

SELEX Galileo welcomes the formal signing of the M-346 programme contract that will kick off the production and deliveries of the 15 trainer aircraft to the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force). The Company produces the Mission Core System (MCS) for the trainer, which has been highly rated by pilots and has demonstrated high-performance in flight trials.

Kairat Kelimbetov, the Chairman of the Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna, and Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, Chairman and CEO of Finmeccanica, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conclude industrial co-operation agreements with Finmeccanica Group companies in the rail, electro-optics and helicopter sectors.

Proba-2, launched last night from northern Russia, is a follow-on to the highly successful Proba-1 satellite launched in 2001. It will demonstrate 17 advanced satellite technologies including SELEX Galileo's newly developed star tracker.
 
Based on the HAS APS detector, the AA-STR star tracker has been designed to reduce cost, mass and size compared to the CCD based star tracker, and significantly increase tolerance to harsh radiation environments.

As a member of the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme industrial team, SELEX Galileo of Finmeccanica welcomes the finalisation of the Programme Memorandum of Understanding by the 15 participating nations.
 
The NATO AGS system will provide the Alliance with an airborne ground surveillance core capability designed to meet its Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance requirements for the 21st Century.