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Alenia to explore Canadian opportunities for its composite and carbon-fibre technologies

March 23, 2009, Ottawa – Alenia North America – Canada is showcasing the composite and carbon fibre manufacturing technology of  Alenia Aeronautica Group to Canadian aerospace companies and government officials this  week.  Alenia, a Finmeccanica company, is a global leader in the development, use and industrial  processes of composite materials.

 “Alenia is pleased to participate in this mission. We look forward to exhibiting our world-class  capabilities in aircraft manufacturing,” said Marcello Cianciaruso, Senior VP, Canadian  Programs, of Alenia North America – Canada. “It is our hope that our participation in this  mission will lead to new relationships and partnerships with Canadian aerospace companies.”

Claudio Voto, Alenia Aeronautica’s Aerostructure Research Manager, is participating in this  mission, which is visiting aerospace companies and government facilities in Winnipeg, Montreal  and Ottawa through March 27, 2009. “We plan to exhibit our development on our programs and  the exciting future trends of this technology,” said Mr. Voto. “We hope to develop a common  vision that will open doors to industrial partnerships with Canadian industry and research  centers.”

Alenia has over 20 years of experience in composites technology, including wingbox  manufacturing for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF); design and manufacturing of about  10% of the Boeing 767; the production of one of the two composite wings and the rear fuselage  of the multinational Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighter; and the all-composite tailplane of the ATR  42 and 72, the world’s most successful regional turboprop airplane.

At the Grottaglie site, located in Southern Italy, Alenia created a plant specifically for the  revolutionary manufacturing technologies that produce massive, single-piece fuselage barrels  for Boeing’s new 787 “Dreamliner”, a breakthrough in aircraft manufacturing. Alenia is also  responsible for the design, testing, and manufacturing of the horizontal stabilizers, the largest  single composite structure on the 787. Alenia’s North American joint venture, Global
Aeronautica, located in South Carolina, carries out the integration and assembly of  approximately 60% of the 787’s carbon composite fuselage.

Alenia is now proposing its C-27J Spartan multi-mission aircraft as Canada’s next Fixed-Wing  Search and Rescue (FWSAR) aircraft. The C-27J is the best selling multirole military airlifter,  with 121 units ordered, and recently selected as the U.S. Army-Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft  (JCA). Orders to date, follow-on contracts, as well as international, foreign military and variant  sales are expected to extend orders for the C-27J to more than 200 aircraft over the next 10  years.

The C-27J has a number of composite components such as nacelles, wing nacelle fairings,  radar radome and the tail cone. Future development sees millions of dollars in additional  composite components being introduced into the C-27J, work on which Canadian companies  have an opportunity to participate, said Mr. Cianciaruso.  “Alenia not only looks forward to working with Canadian industry on programs that directly  support the Canadian FWSAR program, but also to collaborating with Canadian companies on  major global aerospace programs,” said Mr. Cianciaruso.

About Alenia North America

Alenia North America is a subsidiary of Alenia Aeronautica and part of the Finmeccanica Group. Its  mission is to further expand the industrial and commercial presence of the Alenia Group in North  America. Alenia North America Inc. is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Seattle,  Washington; Long Beach, California; Smyrna, Georgia; and Fort Worth, Texas. Alenia North America –  Canada, a subsidiary wholly owned by Alenia North America, has offices in Ottawa, Canada. Alenia North  America is also a shareholder in several joint venture companies located in the United States. Global  Aeronautica, a joint venture with The Boeing Company, located in North Charleston, South Carolina, and  performs significant integration and sub assembly work for the Boeing 787 program. Global Military  Aircraft Systems (GMAS), a joint venture with L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, is a center of  excellence to support the C-27J in North America. GMAS is headquartered in Madison, Mississippi.  Alenia North America has recently announced its intent to establish a new final assembly and production  facility for the C-27J in the United States. The C-27J is the world leader in the twin engine military tactical  aircraft market with 117 units sold worldwide. The C-27J was recently selected by the U.S. Army and Air  Force for the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) Program.