Exail and Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM) signed a contract under which Exail will provide a flight simulator to train the crews of the E-3F AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft used by the French air force.
Exail – previously known as ECA Group – is a company specializing in robotics, navigation, maritime and aerospace technology, among others. It has 1,500 employees worldwide and was formed with the merger of ECA and iXblue in 2022.
The full flight simulator (FFS) that the company will provide allows it to exactly replicate the future redesign of the E-3F AWACS cockpit. It will provide French Air Force crews with access to a modern flight simulator perfectly adapted to their needs, which will also have the advantage of being on their own country.
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Anne Brachet, executive vice president of AFI KLM, noted that «our teams have been dealing with AWACS for more than 30 years. They have developed a passion for this work, without ever losing sight of the operational challenges faced by an aircraft of this type. The renovation of this aircraft’s cockpit is a strategic objective.» Dominique Giannoni, CEO of Exail, added: «We are proud to have been chosen thanks to our expertise and experience. We have been in the field of flight simulation for more than twenty-five years».
The acquisition of this simulator is part of AFI KLM’s contract with the French Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) for the refurbishment of the E-3F cockpit. The simulator is scheduled to be certified by the DGA by the end of 2025, at the same time as the aircraft refurbishment project.
