magazine - Safran · magazine safran DEcEMbER 2010 ... Interview with Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, Chairman and CEO of GMR Group ... GMR Group © ©

p. 24 MARKETS: INDIA LAUNCHES BIOMETRIC ID / p. 30 DEFENSE: SUBMARINES, UNDERCOVER MISSION

magazinesafran

DEcEMbER 2010 – No. 9the safran group magazine

Engines, avionics and equipment reflect customer-centric expertise

EXCEPTIONAL HELIBORNETECHNOLOGIES

SpEciAl REpoRT

marchésContents

02 _ December 2010 _ safran Magazine safran Magazine _ December 2010 _ 03

marchésEditorial

s afran’s industrial policy aims to give us the production resources needed to manufacture high-quality, high-value-added products. The opening of new plants in 2010, including Bordes and Bidos in France, and Querétaro in Mexico, reflects our Group’s ongoing efforts to improve and expand our production capabilities. At the same time, these new facilities reflect Safran’s confidence in future

returns on our investments, and in the sustained growth of our markets.The opening of new facilities and modernization of existing plants is of course

the most visible sign of changes in our industrial landscape. But that’s not all we are doing. Everywhere we operate, Safran deploys a continuous improvement policy that draws heavily on Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives. Combining these two approaches gives us a powerful

lever to improve the Group’s performance. However, improving our internal efficiency is not enough: Safran’s enhanced responsibility, which assumes taking an increasingly comprehensive role in relation to our customers, also depends on maintaining greater control over the entire supply chain. This in turn means that we have to provide continuous support for our suppliers, to improve their performance in terms of quality, costs and delivery times. Because it is only under these conditions that Safran will continue to design and build products with the quality and competitiveness that drive our ongoing success in the marketplace.

Continuous improvement drives market success

24 MarketsCheck out the latest

safran group news at www.safran-group.com

Marc VentreExecutive Vice President, aerospace Propulsion branch, safran

News breaks� p. 04

Tomorrow� p. 08Inertial navigation

Special report� p. 10Exceptional heliborne technologiesEngines, avionics and equipment reflect customer-centric expertise.

panorama� p. 20Combining beauty and efficiencyThe latest Safran plant skillfully couples aesthetics with high performance.

Markets� p. 2424 India launches unique ID number27 SaM146 certification28 Patroller drone takes off!30 Submarines: undercover mission32 Green taxiing: self-propelled landing

gear

Insight� p. 3333 Safran and the Women’s Forum34 Senior employee profiles

Interview� p. 36Incredible IndiaInterview with Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, Chairman and CEO of GMR Group

“Greater control over the entire supply chain”

In India, Safran was selected to participate in the world’s largest identification program. All residents in India will eventually be assigned a unique ID number.

LocaL ID, country-wIDe!

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

Cedex 15 - France - Fax : +33 (0)1 40 60 85 01 - Publication Director: Pascale Dubois - Editorial Director: Christine Orfila - Executive Editor in Chief: Florent Vilbert - Editor in Chief: Martin Bellet - Written by: D. Baudier, M. Bellet, L. de la Reberdière, B. Dietz, A. Kovalenko, F. Lert, P. Michaud, A. Papeguay, G. Sequeira-Martins - Translation: Don Siegel, ID Communications - Production: - Printed by: Imprimerie Vincent, certified imprim’vert, on PEFC

accredited paper - ISSN 1960-7164 - The articles and illustrations published in this magazine may not be reproduced without prior authorization. Cover: © Éric Raz / Eurocopter

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marchésNews breaks


Unified solid propulsion capabilities

s afran has announced an industrial and commercial collaboration agreement with SNPE Matériaux Energétiques to bolster its solid propulsion business. The Group could thus combine SNPE’s expertise in

energetic materials (propellants) with the solid rocket motor (SRM) capabilities of its subsidiary Snecma Propulsion Solide. “This acquisition should enable us to create a new center of excellence in our Group, one that will have a very positive technological impact on our businesses, especially in solid propulsion and composite materials,” said Safran CEO Jean-Paul Herteman. The combined solid propulsion business consolidated within Safran would have nearly 3,000 employees, an R&D unit with over 600 scientists and engineers, and annual revenues estimated at more than 650 million euros in 2011. Based on the same vertical integration structure as all specialists in solid propulsion, this new unit would bolster its competitiveness and become No. 2 worldwide in this sector.

wINDUsTRIAL sTRATEGY

In October 2009, Aircelle delivered the high-tech NAIAD – Nacelle Innovative and Acoustic Demonstrator – to fellow Group company snecma, the aero-engine specialist. Based on the extensive use of composite materials and innovative production processes (thermoplastic forming, for instance), this nacelle will shortly be tested along with the MAsCOT engine demonstrator for the integrated powerplant system being developed by CFM International for the new LEAP-X engine. Aircelle thus confirms the major objectives of its technology strategy, based on new-generation nacelles that are lighter, quieter and easier to maintain.

The number of Formula One Grand Prix won by cars using Messier-Bugatti (safran group) carbon brakes. Messier-Bugatti has worked with F1 teams since 1984, and also supplies carbon clutch disks to all competitors.

259

Messier: 3 in 1

T he A350, Boeing 787 and other new aircraft programs increasingly demand more highly integrated and

innovative equipment packages. Messier-Bugatti, Messier-Dowty and Messier Services, all members of the Safran group, are therefore merging into a single company that offers the depth and breadth to cover all components in modern landing systems. Their teamwork, already reflected in work on the A400M, as well as the green taxiing concept (see page 32), also enables them to offer more comprehensive services to airlines. The merger should be completed in the first half of 2011, pending approval by the companies’ respective work’s councils.

wMERGER

Mexico will be in the spotlight in 2011, in particular with The Year of Mexico in France, a program chaired by safran CEO Jean-Paul Herteman on the French side. This event celebrates the many cultural, scientific and economic ties between the two countries, which the safran group had already spotlighted throughout 2010. Mexico holds a very special role in the Group’s development strategy, as reflected in events such

as the Pierre soulages retrospective organized in partnership with the Mexico City Museum last August, and Jean-Paul Herteman’s participation in the Mexico Cumbre de Negocios (Business summit) in Toluca. safran has been operating in Mexico for some 20 years, and currently has nearly 3,000 employees in the country, which has become its beachhead into south America with the opening of three new production plants in 2010.

tHe year oF MeXIco

naIaD at aIrceLLe

Fast growth in the security market

s afran, already a major player in biometrics, has become the world leader in this market following an agreement with L-1 Identity of the United States to acquire

its biometrics, access control and secure ID document operations. Safran is counting on the complementary fit of these businesses to offer the leading high-tech solutions in the security market, pending definitive approval of the acquisition by U.S. authorities, expected in the first quarter of 2011. This acquisition marks a major step forward in Safran’s clearly defined strategy to establish high-tech leadership in the Group’s three core markets, namely aerospace, defense and security.

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marchésNews breaks


Celeste Thomasson, safran Vice President, Legal affairs“In my job, it’s very important to efficiently manage cultural difference, and also show a certain degree of flexibility.” Recently appointed head of Legal Affairs for the Safran group, California native Celeste Thomasson, 43, knows how to put her words into practice. She’s already familiar with the Group, having joined subsidiary Messier Services in 2002 as head of the legal department, before moving to Messier-Dowty the following year as VP, Legal Affairs. Celeste Thomasson then returned to the United States in July 2008 as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Safran USA, before returning to Paris a year later to take up this new job. Her varied career gives her a solid understanding of both French and American law, a considerable advantage for a global group such as Safran.

Decision-makers

Panoramic eye for armored vehicles

On the field of battle, being able to quickly detect enemy forces is an imperative. Nexter Systems has ordered 285 turret-mounted

panoramic observation systems from Sagem (Safran group), giving its VBCI armored infantry combat vehicles state-of-the-art technology. The system comprises a stabilized platform with a non-cooled thermal imager, giving vehicle crews 360° observation capability, along with target designation for the gunner. Sagem will also be supplying an equal number of stabilized pointing units with this order.

Safran on the podium

A fter two weeks at sea, single-handed, and with 80 competitors at the start of the Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale transatlantic race, Marc Guillemot, the Safran skipper, finished third in the Imoca

Open 60 class. It was a hard-fought battle for Marc, with especially difficult conditions throughout the race, from Saint-Malo in France to Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe. Once again, Marc and his monohull boat proved their mettle, and dedicated their podium finish to “everybody at Safran”. He added, “The energy I put into this race was fed by everybody who helped prepare our boat and supported me all the way.” Congratulations Marco!

w More

www.safransixty.com

wBOAT sPONsORsHIP

new orders for CFM56 engines booked during the Farnborough international air show.

825

superjet 100 breakthrough in North America

R ussian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi has recorded an order for six Superjet 100

regional jets, plus four options, from Willis Lease Finance Corporation of the United States, marking a breakthrough in the Western

market and signaling its return to commercial aviation after being absent for two decades. The contract, worth about $300 million, concerns the Superjet 100-95LR long-range version, with single-class seating for 98 passengers. The

Superjet 100 benefits from Safran’s wide range of expertise, since the Group supplies the engine (via joint venture PowerJet, see article on page 27), nacelles and landing gear. The American leasing firm will take delivery of its first aircraft in 2012.

The recently launched project to revamp public records in Mauritania calls on a latest-generation biometrics-based system. To deploy the system, the government chose Morpho, a safran group company, which will handle the issuance of secure identification documents for citizens and residents (ID cards, passports, residence cards and car registration papers), using the latest version of its multibiometric fingerprint and facial recognition system. Biometric registration operations kicked off on the highly symbolic date of November 28, 2010, the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence.

Latest-generatIon bIoMetrIcs In MaurItanIa

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marchésTomorrow


Gyros for navigation

X

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Our ancestors used the stars to deter-mine where they were. Today, people still look skyward, but this time to the GPS (Global Position-ing System) constellation of satel-

lites. But what happens when you can’t pick up a signal, or it’s been jammed? When you’re driving an automobile, it’s no big deal, but for an airplane in flight, the situation is more criti-cal. One solution is inertial navigation. This technology, which predates GPS, is used to ori-ent a vehicle in space and maintain its position autonomously.

All inertial reference units work according to the same principle. They comprise three accelerometers (acceleration sensors) and three angular speed sensors (gyroscopes) to deter-mine the speed and attitude (roll, pitch, yaw) of a moving vehicle. Fabrice Delhaye, director of Sagem’s Navigation department, emphasizes the complementary fit of GPS and inertial nav-igation systems: “In fact, GPS extends the iner-tial market. For example, today’s increasingly digital battlefield requires precise geo-location coordinates. Inertial navigation is indispens-able for extracting the coordinates of enemy forces, and also takes over for GPS under dif-ficult operating conditions, while GPS systems can be used to periodically correct the position calculated by an inertial reference system.”

sMALLER, MORE PRECIsEDifferent technologies are still used concur-rently in this market. “We have designed three generations of inertial reference units to date,” notes Fabrice Delhaye. “The first was a mechanical platform, with gyros mounted in a frame, like a child’s spinning top.” Thousands of these are still in service, including on Mirage 2000 fighters, but their complex mechani-cal layout means relatively high maintenance costs. “The second generation helped reduce cost of ownership,” continues Delhaye. “These are the laser-gyro based units that are now installed on military aircraft, artillery systems and ships.” Sagem’s laser gyros are used not only

on the Rafale multirole fighter, but also on the Ariane 5 launch vehicle and ballistic mis-siles. To ensure maximum operating integrity, inertial reference units are often installed in a redundant architecture, as on the A400M military transport plane, or the NH90 heli-copter. They are used for tactical positioning, weapon operation and self-defense. On artil-lery systems, they enable high-precision aiming of the weapon, while also providing tactical mobility. Nuclear submarines owe their ability to remain totally submerged for several days to the precision of their inertial systems (see article on page 30).

Inertial navigation is a center of excellence and major development path at Safran, which is making heavy investments to spur growth.

InertIa acceLerates! NaVIGaTION

“The Guidance-Navigation department in the DGa’s Project Engineering division contributes its expertise to program teams working on various systems for France’s three service arms. We contribute to current weapon programs, as well as

working on advanced technologies to meet long-term goals. For instance, we identified the hemispherical resonating gyro (hrG) as a key sensor for the future of inertial navigation. Today, only two companies apply this technology, safran and

Northrop Grumman. safran made an excellent choice, I believe, because the hrG offers a host of advantages. It’s small – with a bowl only 2 centimeters in diameter, compared to the 32 centimeter optical path in a high-performance safran laser gyro – and its measurement of angular speeds is mostly insensitive to interference. Furthermore, the stability of the hrG’s error model means that it is well suited to long-duration inertial navigation missions, as on submarines.”

Navigation-guidance design engineer, the French defense procurement agency (DGa)

w MaXIMILIen PortIer

The third generation of inertial reference units is based on hemispherical resonating gyros (HRG), which drastically reduce the parts count compared to previous units. “The HRG offers an excellent tradeoff between size and performance, with outstanding efficiency if operated with some sophistication,” says Fabrice Delhaye. Already used in Sagem’s AASM air-to-ground guided weapon, the HRG has been

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identified by Safran as a key future technol-ogy. The Group is making major investments in this market, including a new production facility at Sagem’s Montluçon plant, spanning some 14,000 square meters, with 6,000 square meters of clean rooms, that will start operation in early 2011. At the same time, this plant has to keep pace with sustained demand for laser gyro inertial reference systems.

“The HRG offers a host of advantages”

million euros invested in a new facility at sagem’s Montluçon plant

Over

600 laser gyro inertial reference systems produced yearly

50

square meters of clean rooms (64,800 sq ft).

© Lorenzo Timon

6,000

Engines, avionics and equipment reflect customer-centric expertise.

EXCEPTIONALHELIBORNE TECHNOLOGIES

100 million euros invested by Safran in the new Joseph Szydlowski plant.

15,200 turbine engines in service.

3,600hours between overhauls for the Arriel 101 engine.

10 _ December 2010 _ Safran Magazine Safran Magazine _ December 2010 _ 11

marchésSpecial report

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The EC225 is used to service offshore oil platforms. Safran

supplies the two Makila 2A1 turboshaft engines that

power this helicopter, as well as the landing system, wiring

and autopilot.


Turbomeca’s new Joseph Szydlowski helicopter engine plant, the latest crown jewel at Safran, was inaugurated on June 22 by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Safran CEO Jean-Paul Herteman. This milestone also allowed the Group to reaffirm its confidence in the future and its commitment to meeting ambitious industrial goals.

PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATIONEVENT


“Thanks to Joseph Szydlowski, many generations of workers, engineers and managers have jobs. (…) And that’s why you can all be very proud of this name.”N. SARkOzy

“We can produce in France and

be competitive in all international

markets.”N. SARkOzy

“This investment reflects the dynamism and faith in the future that helped us stand up to the crisis.”J.-P. HERTEmAN

“The world’s development shapes and nurtures our own development. But our industrial roots are, and will remain French.”J.-P. HERTEmAN

“The inauguration of a new plant is a special moment

in the life of any industrial

enterprise, since it is a door into

the future.”J.-P. HERTEmAN

“You don’t succeed simply

by investing, or by carrying out research.

You succeed by working together

to understand each other.”

N. SARkOzy

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Left to right: Alain Rousset (Chairman of the Aquitaine Regional Council), Jean-Paul Herteman, Nicolas Sarkozy and French ministers Michèle Alliot-Marie and Christian Estrosi, with Pierre Fabre, Chairman and CEO of Turbomeca.

Wiring

Landing system

- Landing gear- Uplock actuator

Optronics

- OLOSP day/night gyrostabilized observation pod- Euro�ir surveillance systems- Sensors

Propulsion

- Engines- APU (auxiliary power unit)- FADEC- Engine cowls- Avionics sand �lters

Navigation

- Flight controls- Autopilot- MARS �ight planning and mission replay system- Inertial navigation unit- Cockpit display screens


R educing our engines’ cost of ownership and emissions have become prime requirements, on a par with reliability and other per-formance criteria,” says Jacques

Brochet, engineering director at Turbomeca, the helicopter engine specialist in the Safran group. “Meeting these goals depends in large part on decreasing fuel consumption. This is not only to keep pace with rising oil prices, but also to integrate stricter environmental standards and associated taxes. But we also have to achieve these goals by using mature and affordable technologies, because other-wise operators would get neither the required reliability, nor a reasonable return on their investment.”

A CLEAR vISIONTurbomeca is laying solid groundwork for the future, in particular to meet three distinct goals. Initially, it will build three demonstra-tors, one for each major power class (from 600 to 2,000 kW), based on refinements in existing technologies. These engines should hit the market towards 2015, and offer a 15%

reduction in fuel burn. The second stage, towards 2020, involves more fundamental research that aims to reduce fuel consump-tion by 25% compared to the current genera-tion of rotorcraft engines. As Jacques Brochet points out, “We are going to deliver innova-tive solutions for control system operation and better integration of the engine in the airframe, while still retaining the basic gas turbine concept.”

The third step in this long-term develop-ment vision will involve breakthrough tech-nologies designed to meet even more ambi-tious goals, with applications starting around 2030 or beyond. In this initiative, the gas turbine experts at Safran will explore novel technologies, such as hybrid propulsion, or multimode systems combining several differ-ent power sources.

TECHNOLOGICAL AdAPTATIONThe race for innovative helicopter solutions also calls on Safran’s expertise in avionics and optronics. For instance, the Group is gearing up for the technology shift now tak-ing place in rotorcraft avionics. “Our current

Research, innovation and partnerships are the three pillars underpinning Safran’s development strategy in the helicopter market.

HELIcOPTERS, fROm THE cOckPIT TO THE ENGINE

PErsPEcTIVEs


advanced projects are focused on new critical computer architectures and inertial sensors for flight control, such as the hemispherical resonating gyro,” explains Philippe Arnaud, sales & marketing director for Sagem’s Avi-onics division. “We are also facing challenges in onboard information systems and associ-ated services. By judiciously managing and analyzing their flight data, operators can sig-nificantly reduce fleet fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, while also enhanc-ing flight safety.”

Sagem’s Optronics & Defense division faces identical challenges. Weapon sights made by this division are used on all versions of the Tiger combat helicopter, and its Euroflir sta-

Partnerships, a springboard to new contractsFor both helicopter and engine manufacturers, partnerships are often a prerequisite for success in  the market. Emerging economies around the world want to participate in the development and production  of high-tech systems, as shown by the collaboration between Turbomeca and hindustan aeronautics Limited (haL) of India to jointly develop  

the ardiden turboshaft engine.  The growing international character of major military programs also encourages strategic alliances in  this market. Engine-makers are teaming up to share development costs and profits. Turbomeca has long been a trailblazer in this area, as shown by the success of the rTm322 engine developed along with rolls-royce for the Eh101 and Nh90 helicopters. The two companies also teamed up with German counterpart 

mTU on the mTr390 turboshaft engine, which powers Tiger helicopters. This type of partnership strategy has given Turbomeca the opportunity to operate in all market segments, with highly competitive products. 

w moreSafran’s development strategy in China and Russia, in the Media Corner on Safran’s website: www.safran-group.com

“

reduction in specific fuel consumption

reduction in CO2 emissions

reduction in NOx emissions.

35%

35%80%

Safran helicopter engine objectives for 2030:

bilized optronics pod has been chosen for a wide range of rotorcraft. “We’re working on upgrades to these systems, but at the same time, we’re developing new building blocks for an all-out modernization,” says Albert Hadida from the division. “For example, new sensors will help improve detection and identification performance, and could also provide effective piloting aid under difficult conditions.”

w moreThe complete interview with Jacques Brochet is in the Media Corner on the Safran website: www.safran-group.com

Safran systems and equipment for helicopters

© Lorenzo Timon 


M arch 12, 1955: takeoff of the Alouette II, the first production helicopter powered by a gas tur-bine. The marriage between a rotorcraft produced by Sud-Avia-

tion (the future Eurocopter) and the Artouste II turbine made by Turbomeca would be the start of a very fertile family. Underpinned by a proactive innovation strategy at both companies, their part-nership would drive both Safran and Eurocopter to their current positions of global leadership. But while helicopters were just getting off the ground a half-century ago, commercially speaking, the situ-ation has changed considerably since then.

“Competition has become fiercer and more diversified every year,” says Joseph Saporito, Execu-tive Vice President, Commercial Programs at Euro-copter. While the French-German helicopter man-ufacturer posted record sales of 4.6 billion euros in 2009, it must also deal with the global financial cri-sis that is still impacting the entire sector. However, Eurocopter has been able to offset a sharp drop in civil sector sales with robust performance in the

The Arriel turboshaft engine powers several different Eurocopter machines, including the AS350 Ecureuil (opposite) and the EC145.

Turbomeca and Eurocopter have formed very close bonds for more than half a century. The result is a real feeling of mutual trust, a very useful asset in markets where competition never stops.

SAfRAN-EUROcOPTER, THE LEADING TEAm

ParTNErshIPs


military market. Today, the helicopter specialist is betting on technical innovation, environmental friendliness and flight safety. International collabo-ration is another development path, and the EC175 machine made by a Chinese-European partnership is the best example to date.

vALuE-AddEd PARTNERS“Our business is going global, the market is chang-ing, and so is the relationship between Turbomeca and Eurocopter, which continues to mature,” says Joseph Saporito. This take on the market is shared by Bernard Chesson, Eurocopter account manager at Turbomeca: “When we started working together, a handshake was all it took to seal an agreement. Today, nothing gets done without a solid contract, because you have to avoid the slightest ambiguity or misunderstanding.” Safran is still a vital partner for Eurocopter, and is also its leading supplier. All Euro-copter helicopters are powered by Safran engines, except just two models.

“The emergence of new countries as customers has led us to offer a dual source option for engines,”

Eurocopter, the world leader from EuropeEurocopter, a subsidiary of EaDs, was created on January 1, 1992 through the merger of aerospatiale’s helicopter division with mBB of Germany. Today, Eurocopter is the world’s leading manufacturer of helicopters for the civil sector. It offers a very broad product range, from light civil rotorcraft such as the Ec120, to heavy military transports like the Ec725. Eurocopter invests heavily in r&D to renew its family based on innovative solutions, and fully intends to keep introducing new helicopters for the global market. 

different Eurocopter models are powered by Turbomeca

The engine accounts for

10 to 20% of a helicopter’s purchase price

15notes Joseph Saporito. “Qualifying two engine sup-pliers increases costs and development work, but is also indispensable if we want to cover the entire market.” Even after decades of this extraordinary partnership, Turbomeca and Eurocopter continue to work together in complete confidence. “At Turbo-meca, we have of course realized that we are operat-ing in a much more competitive environment, com-prising all helicopter-makers worldwide, including Eurocopter. We are adapting and dealing with the competition,” emphasizes Bernard Chesson.

But this situation also means greater freedom for Turbomeca, which has to defend its world leader-ship in a constantly changing market. The logic is implacable: Turbomeca is marketing its products to Eurocopter’s competitors, and is winning contracts that allows it to continue growing. “Eurocopter may find itself in competition with a Russian helicop-ter powered by Turbomeca, and that’s a situation everybody must accept,” adds Joseph Saporito on a sober note.

uNIFIEd R&d, A NECESSITyBut the legacy of the pioneers has not totally disap-peared. This is illustrated by the still strong bonds between Safran and Eurocopter on Research & Development, although now tightly delimited by various confidentiality agreements. As Ber-nard Chesson says, “We have signed preliminary contracts on experimental efforts, and our design departments continually analyze the possibility of joint developments, to ensure that our respective efforts are unified.”

Joseph Saporito also defends this idea, point-ing out his company’s sustained relationship with Turbomeca to develop the gas turbine, continually increasing its performance, optimizing its integra-tion in the helicopter, and even imagining alter-native solutions. Experts in the field all agree that the future of the helicopter depends on a more highly integrated powerplant, and therefore on even stronger collaboration between helicopter and engine makers.

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Wolfgang Burger has been head of engineering at ÖamTc, the austrian automobile club and the country’s largest civil helicopter operator, for ten years. “ÖamTc deploys a fleet of 27 Ec135 helicopters, all powered by arrius 2B2 engines, and we log some 9,000 flight-hours a year,” he says. “ÖamTc was one of the first operators to sign a ‘service by the hour’ (sBh) contract with Turbomeca, back in 1997, covering  our 54 turbine engines. 

We always have two complete spare engines and two Fadec engine control units on hand, and the manufacturer guarantees shipment of spare parts within 24 hours. We have the full support of our Field rep, who is always available in an emergency – he’s really our prime contact with the vendor.”On september 1, 2010, ÖamTc was certified as a Level 3 maintenance center (the highest rating) for Turbomeca engines, clearly reflecting the relationship of mutual trust between the engine-maker and its long-standing customer.  

1. Österreichische automobil-, motorrad- und Touring club 

ÖamTc1, Vice President Engineering

w WOLfGANG BURGER


H elicopter users are as diverse as their missions, from the VIP with a single machine, to operators with fleets exceeding 400 rotorcraft, and of course armed forces. But

customer support is equally important to all of these users. According to Turbomeca’s vice president, sales and customer satisfaction, operators, Lau-rent Fiard, “We offer a wide variety of contracts to meet the needs of our very diversified clien-tele, from simple repairs, what we call ‘Time & Materials’, to leasing and standard replace-ments, plus of course support by the hour, or SBH, and total support packages.”

Christian Gabriel (left) and Wolfgang Burger (right) stay in permanent touch.

Faced with a broad array of customer support requirements and challenges, Safran’s helicopter engine specialist Turbomeca custom tailors its services.

cUSTOm-TAILORED cUSTOmER SUPPORT

NETWOrK


For scheduled maintenance, Turbomeca will shortly expand its service offering by adding an application called “Basis”, which provides real-time tracking of engine condition. Based on RFID (radio frequency identification) tech-nology, this fleet management tool will match maintenance services to actual needs, thus keeping aircraft in the air, decreasing parts inventories and, in the final analysis, improv-ing flight safety.

LOCAL SuPPORT, FAST REACTIONS “We also focus on close support for our cus-tomers, both culturally and geographically, to react quickly to their needs,” adds Laurent

Fiard. Backing this local support, Turbomeca’s workforce includes people from 36 different countries. Turbomeca spans the globe through a dozen offices, backed by a network of partners, including distributors and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) centers. Every person in the network applies the same basic principle, namely “listen to our custom-ers!” As Laurent Fiard explains, “We organize a number of meetings with operators, from sym-posiums on all continents to training workshops for our engines. We also hold customer coun-cils, providing a forum to discuss progress paths with them. Another very important concept is our ‘blue teams’, where users and designers get together to think about solutions for our prod-ucts and services.” The Nomad reporting sys-tem, a key to information circulation, also plays an important role by facilitating the sharing of experiences between operators and Turbomeca.

SPECIFIC MISSIONSEach office worldwide hosts a trio of customer service specialists: the Customer Support Man-ager, in charge of customer satisfaction, assisted by the Customer Support Representative, who

handles sales administration and interfaces with industry to ensure that contracts are executed smoothly. The third member of the trio is the Field Rep, who shares his deep understanding of the company’s products with customers. The Field Rep plays a key role in this setup, as Chris-tian Gabriel, Turbomeca Field Rep for Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and the German government, explains: “Our knowledge of helicopters, engines and operations means that we can propose con-crete solutions to our customers. In fact, that’s one of Safran’s major competitive advantages in this market.” Turbomeca continues to expand its web of ser-vice centers to improve local support for custom-ers with small fleets. “About 80 percent of our customers own fewer than three helicopters,” notes Laurent Fiard. “For an operator who logs just 150 flight hours a year, the general overhaul of the engine will only come once every twenty years. But we can’t wait that long to meet him and ask about his needs. Ensuring customer loyalty requires at least three or four personal visits a year. So we call on local partners, who are largely present worldwide, to deliver the local support we owe our customers.”

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Safran’s new “Joseph Szydlowski” helicopter engine plant.

COMBINING BEAUTY AND EFFICIENCY

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At the foot of the mountainsWhen Polish-born Joseph szydlowski, founder of Turbomeca (safran group), moved to Bordes in southwest France, he could barely imagine that, 68 years

later, his name would grace an elegant new production facility, made of steel and glass and bringing together the company’s best engineers and technicians. spanning some 42,000 square meters, with 1,300 employees, this plant is located in the heart of an aerospace cluster. It is designed to improve flows in the production process and foster synergies by moving design and production teams closer together. Based on sustainable development principles, the plant gets its electrical power from renewable energy (wood-fired).

1. Integration unitstaff enjoy optimized working conditions, fostering real synergies between different teams.

2. Main entrance The Joseph szydlowski building is designed to meet modern production requirements.

3. A sustainable buildingThe new building meets the most stringent health, safety and environment standards, to protect our environment and the people working inside.

4. Light & shadowall offices are located along a central corridor, the backbone

of the plant, some 310 meters long (over 1,000 ft). a glass roof runs the whole length, protecting pedestrians from the elements.

5. Aerial viewThe new Joseph szydlowski plant blends smoothly into the local environment at the foot of the Pyrenees, making it an integral part of the region whose lakes and peaks lend their names to Turbomeca engines.

6. Rotating assembliesEach center comprises several production lines, based on Lean manufacturing principles, to reduce cycles.

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The ambitious Aadhaar project, which kicked off in the summer of 2009, reflects a deliberate sociopo-litical aim. The Indian government plans to give everybody residing

in the country (citizens of course, but also expats, etc.) a unique number which will be inscribed on their ID cards and on all official documents belonging to each person, for life. “The idea is to give an identity to hundreds of millions of Indians who don’t have one,” summarizes Sabine Domenget, head of sales & marketing in Asia for Morpho, the security specialist in the Safran group. “It will enable people to open checking accounts, apply for loans, insurance, pensions, property deeds,

Safran is one of the companies chosen to take part in an unprecedented program, called Aadhaar, to count everybody residing in India and then assign each person a unique identification number.

A UniqUe iD progrAm in inDiABIOMETRICS


MaRChéSMarkets

Dutch renew safran contract for ID docsStarting on October 1, 2011, Safran will produce, personalize and distribute e-passports and national ID cards for Dutch citizens.

etc. What’s more, the government wants to make sure that welfare benefits go directly to the right person.”

The Aadhaar project is in fact the tech-nology facet of a vast census program. “Bio-metrics is the only way of being sure that a number matches a person,” notes Sabine Domenget. “Indian authorities opted for ‘mul-tibiometrics’, which in this case means com-bining a photo, an iris scan and fingerprints.” Since the program will eventually cover more than 1.2 billion people, a complete registra-tion process has been developed to record biometric data from everybody over 15 years old. A limited amount of administrative data is collected at the same time, to protect pri-

although this is a contract renewal (since Safran had been performing these tasks in the Netherlands since 2001), the latest accord was still considered a major business win, since the Request for Proposals issued by the Dutch Ministry of the Interior in February 2010 was totally open. “The EU procedure for contract awards opens the field to all European companies,” notes Jacques Van Zijp, ID Documents sales director for Morpho in the Netherlands. “Of course, the outstanding performance we have delivered since 2001 also meant that the customer set the bar very high, and only a small number of companies were actually capable

of meeting the terms of the RFP. By the end, the short list only included three candidates.” Safran won this fiercely fought competition in June 2010. The new contract runs for seven years, and can be renewed for three more. It clearly confirms Safran’s ability to establish long-term relations with its customers, as shown by similar contracts won in Lebanon, Mauritania, Colombia and other countries.

ID soluTIons “We’re not just producing the documents, either, we’re also responsible for all associated services,” points out Jacques Van Zijp. In practice, when Dutch

citizens apply for papers, whether for the first time or for a renewal, they submit a request to their city hall, which sends Morpho the basic personal information (name, date of birth, etc.), as well as the biometric data, namely the fingerprint and photo. Morpho produces and personalizes the document and sends it back to the city hall, where the card holder comes to pick it up. The standard procedure takes only three days, and this can be reduced to under 20 hours in an emergency. When this contract takes effect, Safran will be turning out some two million e-passports and 1.5 million national ID cards a year for Dutch citizens.

The Aadhaar project will eventually involve a database covering more than

1.2 billion individuals – a sixth of the world’s population!

vacy, and all information is centralized in a large database.

WorkIng WITh The besTHaving decided to work with several differ-ent suppliers, last May the Indian govern-ment issued a request for proposals (RFP) for an initial phase involving the establishment of a database limited to 200 million people. Three consortiums were selected and placed in competition (for the next phase), includ-ing one formed by Safran and the Indian company Mahindra Satyam. “We wanted to team up with a major national player in information technology,” explains Sabine Demonget. “Mahindra Satyam is a key player in this sector, and we hit it off right away.”

Morpho is in charge of all technological aspects of Aadhaar, and is bolstering its local presence by creating a dedicated subsidiary. Mahindra Satyam will help install the sys-tem, provide maintenance and train users. Another important part of the project,

Morpho’s biometric terminals are used to record citizens’ ID data even

in the most far-flung villages.

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s afran and NPO Saturn, its Russian partner on the SaM146, are satisfied these days. Their engine was first certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) at the end of

June, then in August by its Russian counterpart, the Interstate Aviation Committee Avia Register (IAC AR). These successive certifications clearly show that the engine meets today’s highest stan-dards in terms of performance, fuel burn, noise and reliability. Certification is the culmination of a comprehensive series of analyses, ground and flight tests carried out over several years. “The different certification phases proceeded smoothly, and test results for the engine’s robustness even exceeded our expectations,” says Robert Vivier, head of the regional engine program at Snecma, the Safran group’s aircraft engine specialist.

In fact, certification is just the first milestone for the SaM146, which now has to demonstrate its qualities in revenue service. Production has started, and the SaM146-powered Sukhoi Super-jet 100 should enter service by the end of 2010, with the delivery of the first aircraft to launch customers Aeroflot and Armavia.

A neW Type of pArTnershIpThe SaM146 is a turbofan in the 17,000-pound thrust class. It was originally designed for the Superjet 100 regional jet made by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company of Russia, but could easily be adapted to other regional jets. In addition to its outstanding technical performance, the SaM146 is also the product of a novel partnership, between the French engine-maker Snecma and the Rus-sian engine specialist NPO Saturn, through a joint venture created for this program, dubbed PowerJet.

To build their partnership, the two companies called on Safran’s long-standing experience with CFM, its 50/50 joint venture with GE that makes the best-selling CFM56 engine. Over the last 35 years, CFM has become a textbook case in cross-border collaboration.

“For the first time, Snecma is systems integra-tor for a complete commercial aircraft engine,” points out Paul-André Chevrin, chief engineer for SaM146 support services. “It’s up to us to prove, via PowerJet, that we are capable of pro-viding airlines with the same or better aftersales service as that offered by other world-class aero-engine manufacturers.”

The new SaM146 jet engine was certified by both Russian and European aviation safety agencies this summer, kicking off a brilliant career for the powerplant of the Superjet 100 regional jet built by Sukhoi of Russia.

SAm146 reADy for tAkeoffPROPULSION

production engines delivered in 2010

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scanning fingerprints in an Indian village.

Why is the Aadhaar project important for Mahindra satyam? This project is a perfect example of what technology can do when it is used to benefit society. Supplying secure ID documents to all Indian residents, using advanced biometric technologies, is a gigantic task, one which has never been done before on such a vast scale. Not only do we have to build a database covering

over 1.2 billion individuals, but this database has to be completely deduplicated, meaning that it will guarantee a single identity for each individual by detecting and eliminating any duplicate biometric data. Mahindra Satyam has successfully risen to these daunting challenges, and the project team is especially motivated.

how would you

describe your collaboration with Morpho over the last year? Our work with Morpho, an acknowledged expert in biometric technologies, has largely contributed to our confidence in our ability to succeed. In fact, we are convinced that the combination of our respective areas of expertise and resources will enable us to offer solutions tailored to other requirements in India. We also hope that this partnership will pave the way to broader collaboration with the Safran group in integrated engineering services and information technology.

Chairman and CEO, Mahindra Satyam

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covered by a separate RFP, is the regis-tration and collection of biometric data. Sabine Domenget explains: “Smartchip, a Morpho subsidiary, is one of the 179 enti-ties selected to take the photos, iris scans and fingerprints. Not only will it use Morpho terminals, but it also intends to sell them to the 178 other service providers!” In other words, Safran is involved at several levels of this revolutionary project.

As soon as a significant part of the data-base is completed, certain applications will be launched, including transport tickets, secure documents and of course the national ID cards, since the Indian government has announced its intention to start delivering these cards in the next few months. “We are also expecting to take charge of issuing doc-uments,” adds Domenget. “That’s why it was so important for us to be involved in the pre-liminary stages of the project, which enabled us to establish a real feeling of mutual trust with the Indian government.” And this con-fidence was justified, since the first actual identification operations were carried out using only Morpho technology.

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T he Patroller is a drone in a hurry. Barely two years elapsed between the beginning of f light testing in June 2008, in Finland, and its fourth series of flight tests, com-

pleted in July 2010, which validated overall system operation. It then performed a series of field trials for the French Civil Security service in August, helping prevent forest fires in southern France by detecting fire starts.

Patroller is a medium altitude, long endur-ance (MALE) drone in the 1 ton class, and is designed to meet emerging market require-ments. “The dual capability of Patroller will enable us to target a very broad range of cli-ents,” says Pierre Jorant, director of drone programs at Sagem, a Safran group company. “By ‘dual’, I mean that it can just as easily

handle military missions in a theater of oper-ations, as homeland security (surveillance of coasts, boarders, high-value sites, etc.), or civil security assignments (forest fire detec-tion, monitoring natural disasters, etc.).” It features a modular design, making it highly adaptable in terms of communicating with the ground and carrying a variety of payloads – so that it is a very cost-effective platform.

unrIvAleD experTIseThe Patroller is a very aerodynamic aircraft, cruising at 50 to 120 knots, and able to stay aloft for at least 20 to 30 hours. Accord-ing to Pierre Jorant, “The airframe’s excep-tional performance is due to the expertise of Stemme, a manufacturer specialized in pow-ered gliders, which drew on all of its know-how to develop the aircraft. That also allowed

Thanks to its gyrostabilized optronics pod, the patroller drone detected three fire starts in southern france last summer.

Sagem to concentrate on our own core areas of excellence, which include the imaging system and optronics pod, data transmission, the mission system with computer and iner-tial reference unit, and of course all logistics and other support services. We have built up unrivaled expertise in these areas, thanks to extensive feedback from the Sperwer drone system, which has been deployed in various theaters of operation, including Afghanistan, for the last six years.”

The Patroller offers another advantage, rather unusual for a drone: it can carry a pilot, for example if needed to fly in airspaces not restricted to drones, such as over urban zones. Furthermore, the Patroller has been authorized to fly over zones with a popula-tion density of 60 inhabitants per square kilo-meter – three times more than the equiva-lent military systems – which considerably expands its scope of application.

A multipurpose drone, the Patroller is available in three different versions: sur-veillance of theaters of operation; maritime surveillance; and homeland security. The latter version will be operational starting in 2011.

The new Patroller unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a scaleable solution that will shortly hit the market to meet the growing demand for a long-endurance drone that can handle a variety of missions.

pAtroller: the mUltirole, CoSt-effeCtive mAle

SURVEILLaNCE


MaRChéSMarkets

The alliance between Sagem and the Israeli company Elbit Systems, announced on September 15, will lead to the establishment of a 50/50 subsidiary in early 2011 to address the global tactical drone market. “Our aim is to create a European champion in this highly competitive market, which ranges from minidrones to surveillance drones up to 1.5 tons,” explains Pierre Jorant. Sagem will contribute its capabilities in

data transmission, mission systems and optronics, while Elbit will provide its range of airframes. The joint subsidiary will be formed by equal contributions of assets from the two parent companies, each worth at least 25 million euros. “at the start, the new company will have about 120 employees, and our aim is to double revenues within three years,” notes Jorant. This new venture will develop products for the global market

(except for the United States and United Kingdom, where Elbit already has partnerships, and Israel). Its priority objective will be the development of a replacement for the Sagem-designed Sperwer drone, now deployed by six countries. Dubbed SDT, the French acronym for Tactical Drone System, this new drone should hit the market in 2016, and will use the same mission system as the Patroller – which will also be sold by the joint venture.

teaming up to drive growth

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Submarines are an essential part of the modern navy, being used for surveillance, attack, deterrence and many other missions. Safran is a long-standing equipment supplier in this market, specializing in inertial navigation and optronics-based defense systems.

DEFENSE


MaRChéSMarkets

Despite the total isolation experienced by my men, their morale is good. but I have to admit that this new assignment is very timely: for the last few days, I could feel their frustration beginning to build up. We’ll soon be sailing over 1,000 nautical miles without surfacing, and we have to remain undetected. our target is a cargo ship in the gulf of guinea. According to our intelligence services, this ship could be awaiting the delivery of a large amount of enriched uranium.

After two days at sea – or should I say, under the sea? – we’ve arrived at the boat’s last known coordinates. even though being under water keeps us from receiving gps signals, the accuracy of our navigation system, featuring an inertial reference unit designed and built by sagem, means that I am virtually sure of our position. but we still have to find out if our target is still there – the suspense is killing me! I check with my crewman in charge of our passive sensors. he’s got two earphones clamped to his head, no underwater noise can escape his attention! his conclusion: no engine is operating anywhere in our vicin-ity. To make sure we’ve left nothing uncovered, I give the order to raise the optronic tracking mast. once again, the inertial reference unit does its stuff – it allows us to pre-cisely measure the boat’s trim, and thus make sure that the images we’ll be receiving are sharp. In just a few sec-onds, the sagem-built optronic mast takes a 360 degree

shot of the horizon, and then retracts back into the hull. Dubbed Quicklook, the panoramic vision system is one of the best features of the mast. During those same few seconds, a gps antenna on the mast picks up our coor-dinates from the satellite positioning system, so that our own navigation system can automatically correct itself.

“no radar activity detected,” reports one of my officers. “nothing on the screens either.”

It was too much to hope for that they would just wait for us. but I still have a few aces in the hole. I decide to sur-face in order to increase the detection capabilities of our radar mast, also built by sagem. once on the surface, it can detect the slightest activity within a radius of several dozen nautical miles.

There’s a “ping” from the northwest – at last! I give the order to dive, so we can approach the ufo – unidentified floating object – more discreetly.

With six boats being delivered to India, and four more ordered by brazil in December 2009, the scorpène class submarine is now the best seller offered by french naval shipyard DCns. These submarines feature an inertial reference unit and optics by safran. “We have been working with DCns for nearly thirty years, and have devel-

oped an excellent relationship,” says Jean-Michel Missirian, maritime optronics sales & marketing director at sagem (safran group). “for the brazil contract, all of our equipment will be integrated in Toulon before being shipped there. And we also intend to transfer certain maintenance capabili-ties to this customer.”

export market success

UnDer Cover in the gUlf of gUineA

Logbook of Commander Hugh O’Kelly, captain of the submarine Rorqual.

_ south atlantic / august 5_

_ gulf of guinea / august 7_

_ liberian coast / august 9_

A red light illuminates the gangways, indicating that it’s night outside. on the console, for the past few hours we’ve been studying the images of a rusty old cargo ship that looks more like it’s going to sink than engage in hi-jinks on the high seas. There’s no smoke coming from its stacks, the engines are not running. A problem, or a faked malfunction? hard to tell… The infrared images have given us a few hints. About a dozen crew members, who just seem to be killing time. Their lit cigarettes give us an excellent idea of where each man is standing.

_ liberian coast / august 8_

We’ve now been monitoring the “wreck” for 24 hours. Although it’s dark outside, the image intensifier in the optronic mast gives us a very precise view of our target, in con-junction with the infrared imager and the high-def color camera. Ah, things seem to be picking up, and the crew members are moving around the deck. The engine just started up again – if there was a breakdown, it’s been repaired. It’s going to be a very long night for the man on watch duty.

The pale light of dawn begins to make the cargo ship visible. I didn’t get much sleep – I have the feeling something’s going to happen. for the first time since the start of our mission, I give the order to raise the attack periscope. because of its powerful optics, I can distinctly

see the men on the deck. There’s absolutely no chance they’ve seen us: they’re all focusing on some-thing back on the shore. I turn the periscope 90°, and there it is! A powerful speedboat is heading toward the cargo ship. A few min-utes later they dock alongside. To our surprise, they’re wearing nbC [nuclear, biological, chemi-cal] suits. I can see every detail of the transfer – heavy cases whose content now seems very obvious. using our color hD camera and the digital video recording sys-tem in the sagem-built periscope, I can record everything. In a few seconds, we’ll be transmitting the evidence to hQ via satellite. for us, the mission is almost over. but it’s just starting for our heliborne com-mando units…

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MaRChéS MaRChéSMarkets Insight

f ounded in 2005, the Women’s Forum is the prime international get-together for today’s most influential women. Its aim is to promote women’s specific vision of today’s major eco-

nomic and social issues. The event draws people from 90 different countries, and includes about 20% men, a mix that is needed to spotlight the complementary vision of men and women from around the world. “The unprecedented financial crisis that started in 2008 has forced us to rethink the old models, and has spurred the emergence of new values for progress,” says Françoise Descheemaeker, head of Safran’s cor-porate philanthropy department.

The 2009 edition of this forum brought together a thousand leaders from the worlds of business, politics, education, science, media and philanthropy to share their experiences and discuss their concepts of innovative, diversified leadership. The day before the official opening, Safran welcomed the Asian delegation to the Women’s Forum, primarily high-level Chinese leaders, to its headquarters in Paris.

brAInsTorMOne of the highlights of the 2010 forum was

a brainstorming session in the Safran Cor-ner, bringing together about 50 participants to address the question of “Sustainable innovation, success and risk factors.” In addition, Marc Guil-lemot, skipper of the Safran ocean racing yacht, and Alain Souchier, a research consultant at Safran, participated in a discussion on “High technologies and modern adventures,” spot-lighting the predominant role of people in the technology equation. Illustrating its high-tech capabilities, Safran displayed an HM7B rocket engine from the Ariane 5 launcher during the forum, along with a model of the Safran ocean racer. The next event in this series is a sympo-sium to be organized in Casablanca, Morocco, entitled “Women, Industry and Development”. According to Pascale Dubois, Safran Vice Presi-dent for Communications, “Women are at the heart of Morocco’s modernization policy. Today, as women become more educated, they increas-ingly emphasize higher education for their chil-dren.“ Safran already employs 2,000 people in Morocco, three-fourths of them women, with an average age of 28. For the Group, this new symposium will be an excellent opportunity to spotlight its employees and their role in the country’s development.

Safran once again actively supported the Women’s Forum, held in Deauville, France in October 2010, continuing a partnership that started in 2008.

SAfrAn pArtnerS the Women’S forUm

ENGaGEMENT

Women at safran

Women account for 25% of safran’s global workforce. out of 500 engineers recruited in france in 2010, safran aims to hire at least 30% women.

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A nnounced at the Farnborough international airshow in the summer of 2010, the concept dubbed “green taxiing” will enable an aircraft to taxi before

takeoff and after landing without having to use its engines. Electric motors will be added to each wheel in the main landing gear – which provides greater traction than the nose land-ing gear – and draw power from the auxiliary power unit (APU) that already equips all air-planes, with central control from the cockpit.

fuel sAvIngsGreen taxiing is primarily intended for planes making shorter flights, with a large number of daily rotations and airport movements. “Our main target is the single-aisle aircraft market,” explains Bruno Chiarelli, head of the Systems division at Messier-Bugatti, a Safran group company. This electric propulsion system will also be used for push back, i.e., moving the aircraft from the gates to the taxiway, without having to pay for the “bug”, a small tractor that usually does the job.

“This new technology also has environmen-tal benefits,” adds Chiarelli, “since it reduces fuel consumption by up to 5%, with a concomitant decrease in carbon dioxide and NOx emissions; it also largely offsets the weight penalty of the addi-tional equipment mounted on the plane. Further-more, by not igniting our jet engines, we reduce the risk of ingesting any debris from the ground.” Another non-negligible advantage is that the elec-tric motors are virtually silent, which will help keep down noise around the terminals.

A demonstrator is planned for 2012, with the sys-tem entering service towards the middle of 2016.

green taxiing could cut fuel use by up to 5%.

A concept developed by Safran, based on electric motors installed directly in the landing gear, enables commercial airplanes to taxi without using their jet engines – an idea that is as friendly to the environment as to the airlines’ bottom lines.

green tAxiing: Combining eCology AnD eConomy

INNOVaTION

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Towards more electric aircraftThe trend in current aeronautical research is to replace the traditional mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatically-driven equipment on aircraft by electrical systems. Because they are lighter, electrical systems significantly reduce fuel consumption. In addition, they reduce maintenance costs, enhance monitoring reliability and, in the case of green taxiing, reduce weight while still enabling aircraft to taxi at normal speeds.

Marc guillemot on the safran stand at the 2010 Women’s forum.


MaRChéSMaRChéS InsightInsight

Although they come from different countries, all three of the people interviewed here work for Safran group companies and have accumu-lated extensive professional experience. These employees are considered “seniors”, a category

that accounts for a growing share of the active population in developed countries. Over the years they have built up not only outstanding technical skills, but also an in-depth under-standing of their companies.

The skills built up over time by the people in a company represent tremendous “knowledge capital”. Safran puts this capital to work by facilitating the transmission of skills and knowledge.

trAnSmitting SkillS AnD knoWleDge

EXPERIENCE

martine quernet, 49, cluster assembly operator, Snecma, France

When she first arrived at Snecma in 1981 on a temporary contract, Martine Quernet discovered a world where she would never have expected to fit in. But it was her interest in her work – the very manual trade of cluster assembly operator – that persuaded her to continue her career in aero-space. With 30 years of experience now under her belt, Martine has seen her profession change, along with the associated techniques. “Today we have a wider variety of tasks, and the profession is constantly renewed,” she says. Transmitting knowledge is one of Snecma’s strong points, since each new employee is assigned a men-tor. “I’ve been a mentor a few times, and in that position you can’t just take things for granted, since they ask questions that you haven’t asked yourself in a long time,” explains Martine. “This system benefits the mentor as much as the intern.” Today, Martine is in a training program to add a new qualification. She also points out that Snecma offers training to employees of all differ-ent ages. “We’re not shuttled aside just because we’ve hit 50,” she emphasizes. Where does experience come in? according to Martine, “although our profession has changed significantly in the last 30 years, seniors have developed an overall understanding that is a real advantage: not only is it very useful, but this life experience can be passed on to the next generation.”

ricardo gentil peixoto da Costa, 46, Chief Operating Officer, Turbomeca do Brasil, Brazil

Born near Rio in Brazil, Ricardo Gentil entered university at 16. he started his career just as early, in a sector that fas-cinated him, namely aircraft engines. Ricardo joined Turbo-meca do Brasil in april 2003, after 18 years in engineering jobs, first in a small local com-pany, then at GE.“When I arrived, Turbomeca was starting up its MRO cen-ter in Brazil, which was a very stimulating challenge,” he recalls. Since then, the com-pany has evolved, and become part of the Safran group. “The company grew, our scope of business expanded and we

added people from other com-panies, so we had to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and transmission of skills,” contin-ues Ricardo, who experienced the change from within the company. “all in all, these very diverse influences have greatly enriched our company culture.”“about seven out of ten employ-ees today are young recruits or former interns,” Ricardo adds. When new hires arrive at Turbomeca do Brasil, it’s not just a question of training them, but also transmitting this unique culture – which is where prior experience really comes into its own. “Transmit-ting know-how is important from the technical standpoint of course,” notes Ricardo, “but it also concerns our com-pany culture, image and orga-nization.”

nicolas Di mascia, 51, project manager in the operations department, Techspace aero, Belgium

Joining Techspace aero (then known as FN Moteurs) in 1979 as a line worker, Nicolas Di Mascia is the perfect example of career development. “I gradually moved up the ladder, although that wasn’t really my goal. Every three or four years, I changed jobs, that’s one of the main advantages of work-ing in this company,” he explains. Today, Nicolas is in charge of a Techspace aero project dubbed “equipment and trades management”, and his long experience is a major asset. as he says, “I’m familiar with both the training expectations of the shop personnel, and the needs of our enterprise: it’s very important to reconcile these two requirements. People trust me because I learned along with them. Before you can effectively transmit skills, you have to really understand what it is you’re transmitting.” Today, Nicolas Di Mascia is working on a journeyman program for new machinists of all ages. The idea is to list all the key points

for any new piece of machinery and make sure they are understood, so the machine is operated as efficiently as possible, and then pass on this knowledge just as efficiently. an eight-step approach, with associated checklists, leads to qualification. “Our aim is to provide the conditions needed for people

to succeed,” summarizes Nicolas. Experience also gives people a broader perspective, as Nicolas has noticed. “In the technology sector, you never stop learn-ing. There’s something new every day. It’s a fascinating field, and we’re very lucky to be doing work that is both fun and stimulating.”

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marchésInterview


safran Magazine: What trends do you see emerging in India over the last two years? G. M. Rao : The most visible is that, despite the global recession, India’s economy has been stable. This resilience shows the robustness of India’s financial systems and the strength of our domestic markets, as well as our infra-structures. The government is focusing a great deal on infrastructure and spending heavily in the sector, since it believes that infrastructure growth is a key success factor. Furthermore, public-private partnerships (PPP) are in the spotlight, especially with the success of proj-ects like the Mumbai and New Delhi airports.

Today India has one of the fastest grow-ing economies in the world, a trend that should continue. How do you see the “new India”?G. M. R. : India, which is basically an agrarian economy, is moving towards a service economy. European countries also made this transition, but with an intermediate step as manufacturing economies. India shifted directly to the last stage, skipping a step. Many things are in the process of changing. When companies came to India 20 years ago, they came asking, “what can we do for India?” Now the situation has completely changed and they’re asking, ‘what can India do for us?”

One of the reasons for this trend is our youth-ful population. More than half of India is 25 or younger, which means the income generating population will continue to grow for another 30 to 40 years. India is in fact an exception to the global demographic trend [of aging popu-lations]. Consequently, India’s middle income group is growing The Indian economy is resil-ient because it is driven by dynamic internal consumption.

What new growth areas in India are attrac-tive to foreign investors and what is the key to success in the Indian market? G. M. R. : So many things are happening

in India. Services, banking, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, microfinance, power dis-tribution, defense, railways, education, waste

“What’s important is not the size of their stake, but the fact of building a real relationship of mutual trust.”G. M. Rao

With more than 1.2 billion inhabitants, India is the second most populous country in the world. This dynamic nation is modernizing at a breakneck pace, including hefty investments in the development of its transportation infrastructures. G.M. Rao, founder, Chairman and CEO of the GMR Group, a lead partner in the consortium in charge of the expansion of Indira Gandhi international airport in New Delhi, is obviously abreast of the latest trends. A member of the Safran India Advisory Board, which counsels the Group on its development strategy in India, he shares his vision of the challenges facing his country.

incredible india

Interview with Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, Chairman and CEO of the GMR Group

million: annual passenger capacity at the New Delhi airport.

GMR Group purchases a first textile factory in Chennai

GMR Group chosen to develop the new Hyderabad airport

Creation of GMR Technologies & Industries, Ltd.

Inauguration of sahiba Gokcen airport in Istanbul

Inauguration of Terminal 3 at the New Delhi airport

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management… it is such a wide range. There are opportunities everywhere you look. Let’s take the infrastructure sector as an exam-ple: ports, airports and energy are open to for-eign investments. This sector will keep growing for the next 30 to 40 years and the opportunities will be huge, with infrastructure investments estimated at one trillion dollars. One of the key factors for success in India is the relationships that investors build with Indian partners. India is a “high-touch” country. Some sectors like infrastructure give high returns, but only after many years. That’s where building durable relationships with partners really comes into its own. At GMR, what’s important is not the size of their stake, but the fact of building a real relationship of mutual trust. We make a conscious decision to take everybody along.

India’s high growth rate is accompanied by a spurt in air traffic. How do compa-nies like yours respond to this growth?


marchésInterview

India is embarking on a deep transformation, spanning all sectors of the economy. This is not only a strategic challenge for India, but is also a golden opportunity for safran, in the security sector of course, but also in aerospace and defense. We have already formed long-standing, concrete partnerships with the Indian aerospace industry in the strategic segments of inertial navigation and military aircraft engines, as shown by the success of the Dhruv helicopter.

The domestic civil aviation market is also logging enviable growth, and the country’s plans for investment in infrastructure offer a unique chance to promote our technological solutions, as shown by our new-generation explosives detection systems installed at the Indira Gandhi airport in New Delhi. We are also staking out a position as a major technology partner for biometrics, within the scope of the national aadhaar project to assign a

unique identification number to all residents of India (see page 22). We know that a stable relationship has to be built for the long haul, so we continue to bolster our presence in the country. In fact, we have already established a solid presence through morpho e-Documents (which operates the most modern smart card production facility in asia), safran aerospace India (for engineering studies), and joint ventures for aircraft engines. Our ongoing success will depend on the joint development and creation of long-term partnerships with skilled, dynamic companies, as illustrated by our collaboration with the Gmr Group, so that safran assumes a long-term role in the country’s growth.

Executive Vice President, Defense-security branch, safran

Win-win partnerships

w Olivier andriès

Indian airports, security is a prime concern. Furthermore, in public-private partnerships, the airport operator has a responsibility. Pas-senger safety and comfort is still evolving in our airports. Each passenger must be checked, but there are so many people to be checked that the staff may become less vigilant. The concept of the security check in India has to change and we are addressing that issue. We have the same equipment as the best airports in Europe and the United States. In fact, Saf-ran offers a wide range of airport systems and all types of security equipment. The Safran group is a model we can use from top to bot-tom, and we greatly appreciate the Group’s capabilities.

What makes for a successful airport? G. M. R. : The airport business hinges on three revenue streams – aero, non-aero and property around the airport. Revenue from property can be significant and may deter-mine the long-term profitability of the air-port. For instance, we are currently developing about 250 acres of property around the New Delhi airport to create a new Central Busi-ness District, with a metro line to the city center. And there is some 1,500 acres of prop-erty around the Hyderabad airport, includ-ing a Special Economic Zone spanning 500 acres. We have created a Master Plan for a world-class aerotropolis, a new concept. We will have an aerospace port providing MRO services for engines and airframes, along with an education port and a healthcare port, plus a convention center, logistics port, residential and commercial complexes. In short, every-thing that a full-fledged city requires, as well as entertainment facilities. Earlier, India’s cit-ies had airports. In the future, India’s airports will have cities attached.

After Hyderabad and Delhi, what will be your next project? G. M. R. : We have two overseas projects, including modernization of the Malé airport in the Maldives. Similar projects are coming up in several developing countries and we are constantly tracking new opportunities, like in Navi Mumbai and Nagpur. But we are not just an airport developer. For instance, we signed a build & operate agreement in New Delhi and Hyderabad for the next 60 years. GMR Group can build, operate and maintain airports, and also offer this as a packaged one-source solu-tion to third parties. In short, we offer truly comprehensive, world-class service.

Inside the new Terminal 3 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

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G. M. R. : Today, airports in India are oper-ated by private companies. We have built ter-minal buildings, set up the best IT and secu-rity systems. But air traffic control is managed by the airport authority, which is a govern-ment agency. In building the airports, we have projected air traffic growth for the next 50 years. The current infrastructure is already three to five years ahead of the demand curve. New Delhi airport has a capacity of 60 mil-lion passengers per year, although current traffic is only 26 million. Earlier, we had a different way of looking at this. We created demand and then ramped up supply. Now it is the other way around.

security in airports has become a cru-cial issue. What are the main concerns and how would you define your airport security needs? G. M. R. : We are faced with a growing numberof increasingly sophisticated threats. At

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