EADS and Sagem to Develop IMESS Swiss Infantry Fighting Capabilities

Released on Monday, November 26, 2007

EADS Defence & Security, through its integrated Business Unit Defence & Communications Systems (DCS) as prime contractor, and Sagem Défense Sécurité from SAFRAN Group as main subcontractor have been awarded an exclusive contract with armasuisse, the Procurement, Technology and Real Estate Center of the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport DDPS, for the prototype phase of IMESS, the future soldier modernisation programme, with options for a subsequent industrialisation and first series delivery.

IMESS is a programme for the modernization of the Swiss infantry fighting capabilities from a single soldier up to platoon level.

The framework contract includes a first development phase plus options for series productions worth more than 120 M €. The prototype phase will be finalized in September 2008 followed by an optional industrialization phase in 2009 and optional series production phases in 2010 and 2014, according to current master planning (procurement bills RP 09 and RP 13). The procurement of series is subject to approval by Swiss Parliament.

EADS DS, having already successfully delivered the worlds first Soldier Modernization Programme (SMP) to the German Bundeswehr (IdZ), has been contracted to develop the COMFUT, an equivalent programme for the Spanish Army.

Sagem Défense Sécurité has already delivered FELIN systems to the French Army in 2007 for technical/operational tests and will deliver another batch of FELIN systems in 2008.

Both companies have combined their experiences, know-how and competences in the field of soldier modernization to better address market needs and to provide proven state-of-the-art soldier systems to their customers.

With French, German, Swiss, and Spanish references, EADS DS and Sagem Défense Sécurité (SAFRAN Group) are in a good position to improve interoperability between European forces.