The French are at Farnborough in force, riding the momentum of a general upturn in the aerospace industry's fortunes.
The mood among the 28 major companies occupying more than 1,300m2 in Hall 1 under the Gifas banner, and in a number of chalets, is one of optimism as they work to consolidate the 40.7% rise recorded in demand for civil aircraft in 1995.
Visitors will be attracted by the French advanced technology on show, including Dassault Aviation's standard bearer, the Rafale combat aircraft displaying - or rather concealing - Snecma M-88 engines within its fuselage, Thomson-CSF/Dassault Electronique's RBE2 electronic scanning multi-target fire-control radar; and Matra and Aerospatiale air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.
Wordwide
The French aerospace industry - the largest in Europe and second worldwide only to the United States - has in the last 30-50 years made its mark on the world stage.
In recent years, the industry has faced a major crisis that has highlighted the need for streamlining in the interests of improved efficiency and a stronger competitive position against rivals who have themselves already embarked on massive restructuring.
The French manufacturers are the first to concede that the industry's survival lies in a truly European strategy.
They are pressing for a "Buy European" preference policy within the Western European Union (WEU) - a prerequisite to genuine European defence within the Atlantic Alliance.
The creation of a French-German Weapons Agency is regarded as a first step in this direction, French officials say, adding that Britain and other Nato countries might join later.
For the French aerospace industry, 1995 represented a transition between the end of a slump and the beginning of an upturn, led by a 40.7% rise in the demand for civil aircraft. With exports generating 54% of consolidated revenue, the French aerospace industry remains a top contributor to France's balance of trade.
Volume
The volume of orders booked in 1995 confirmed the upturn observed in 1994. For the first time since 1991, the value of orders has exceeded revenues.
Military revenues continued their downward trend in 1995 for the fifth year running. With domestic revenues dropping 5.7%, overall military revenues were down 3.4% despite a 3.3% rise in exports.
In contrast to airframe and engine makers, equipment manufacturers reported 1995 revenues up 3.3% compared with 1994, led by a 5.6% rise in military revenues.
This year, the Gifas equipment group has signed memoranda of understanding with aerospace organisations in China, South Korea and South Africa.
Source: Flight Daily News
