Thales technologies onboard the A400M

Neuilly-sur-Seine, December 11, 2009 – Airbus Military today successfully achieved the
first flight of the A400M, the multi-role transport aircraft that is set to redefine operational and
humanitarian missions. The A400M is a larger and more flexible aircraft than traditional
airlifters. It draws on state-of-the-art technology from the civil aerospace domain so as to
travel faster, further and with a larger payload.

The A400M uses dual technologies to give pilots advanced functions that currently do not
exist on other aircraft in this category. It is designed to certification standards for civil
airspace and, when necessary, to military specification requirements.

This platform uses the very latest technology from Airbus civil aircraft, including a glass
cockpit and side-stick controllers for the fly-by-wire flight control system. However, unlike for
civilian aircraft, A400M pilots will use head-up displays as primary flight instruments,
enhanced by large multi-function displays and, on some models, by the Enhanced Vision
System.

Thales, as a long-standing Airbus partner, is the main supplier of the A400M’s cockpit display
systems. Its technology can also be found throughout the aircraft’s avionics system covering
navigation, flight controls, electrical systems and utilities such door management systems.

Thales systems comprise a significant percentage of the electronics onboard the A400M and
as such the company is playing an important role in bringing the aircraft to market. An
average of 300 Thales employees per year worked on developing systems onboard the
A400M since the programme was launched in 2005.

Innovative Thales solutions provide crews with all the onboard intelligence they need for
flying this aircraft and the company has also supplied a full flight simulator for A400M crew
training. The cutting-edge and cost effective solutions inherited from the latest Airbus aircraft
models, upon which Thales is also onboard, place the A400M as an airlifter in a class of its
own.

Thales and the Cockpit

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Innovation and Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA)
The A400M is the first military aircraft ever to be fitted with the Integrated Modular Avionics
(IMA) suite, a major technical evolution of global importance developed for A380 and tailored
to the specific requirements of the A400M. The IMA has been adapted to meet military
requirements for resistance to higher vibration levels, higher electromagnetic compatibility
and a critical lightning protection system.

IMA is a leap-ahead technological innovation, with all onboard computing modules

networked and able to support different applications. The result is a substantial improvement
in computing power, reliability, maintainability, volume, weight and scalability.

Through its IMA platform, Thales has halved the number of parts required, leading to
significant gains in direct maintenance costs as communication between the different
systems is optimised.

Innovation and Control Display System

The integration of the Thales-designed Control Display System (CDS) on the A400M marks
the first time that interactive and re-configurable screens are used on a military transport
aircraft.

The CDS is designed for flexibility and features eight large interactive 6” x 8” LCD screens
that are NVG compatible and are derived from the system developed for the A380. The basic
A400M CDS is comprised of control panels, including two Keyboard and Cursor Control
Units (KCCU) and two Glareshield Control Panels (GCP). These give A400M pilots quick,
intuitive access to all navigation functions, a key advantage during critical flight phases.

An optional third crewmember station onboard the A400M features one LCD screen and an
additional three control panels.

Innovation and the Head-Up Display

The A400M is the first Airbus aircraft to be pre-fitted with the Head-Up Display (HUD), by
contrast with the A380, on which the HUD is an option for customers. The A400M’s HUD will
be certified as a Primary Flight Display (PFD). This means A400M pilots will rely on the HUD
for flying the aircraft during high workload procedures such as low-level flights.

The HUD is capable of displaying night vision and bad weather flight videos via the Thales
Enhanced Vision System. While the HUD computers for A380 and A400M are identical, the
mechanical and optical elements on the A400M’s HUD are customised for compatibility with
military Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) and helmets.

Innovation and Enhanced Vision System

Thales has designed prototypes of its Enhanced Vision System (EVS) that are ready for in-
flight performance verification onboard the A400M. The Thales EVS makes a crucial
contribution to aircraft safety and security by helping pilots to see better and further in low
visibility conditions. This system will increase the operational availability of the A400M,
allowing it to take part in operational or humanitarian missions despite difficult weather
conditions.

With the help of infrared detectors, the EVS provides flight crews with high-definition imagery
of the environment outside the aircraft at any time of day or night. This imagery is projected
onto the pilot’s Head-up Display (HUD), or onto the multi-function display, and the system is
configured so that images are superimposed over the pilot’s normal vision.

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The EVS provides improved situation awareness for the pilot by means of advanced imaging
capabilities that increase safety throughout all flight phases – taxiing, takeoff, medium/low
altitude flight, approach and landing.

Thales and Mission Systems

Innovation and Mission Systems
Thales is currently developing the A400M’s Flight Management System (FMS), set to
provide a highly effective interface between the pilot and aircraft. FMS consists of avionics
that control navigation and flight planning for the A400M. This system draws on data, derived
from sensors, to guide the aircraft along its flight plan and to assist pilots in modifying their
flight path as circumstances change.

Thales designed FMS onboard the A400M to meet the specific requirements of a military
airlifter for supporting all cargo, humanitarian and operational missions. Its innovative
architecture allows pilots to manage, within the same flight plan, all civil and tactical phases
of flight so as to achieve their mission, including low-level flight capability.

FMS features the latest Thales innovations in hardware and software to reduce pilot
workloads and thereby increase situation awareness.

Two Thales Multi-Mode Receivers (MMRs) are connected to the FMS onboard the A400M.
These receivers, which meet both civil and military requirements and regulations, provide
critical information for en-route navigation and precision landing.

In addition to the traditional Instrument Landing System and GPS, the Multi-Mode Receiver
brings new innovative functions such as the Microwave Landing System (MLS), which
enables precision landing on tactical airfields, and the differential GPS landing system, which
is the first technology of its kind to appear on a military craft.

Thales also developed the TACtical Air Navigation (TACAN) unit for the A400M, following
civil standards of development and NATO standards for interoperability. This equipment is
used as an air navigation aid that interprets beacons so as to determine the exact position of
the aircraft. Thales has significantly reduced the weight and power consumption of the
TACAN for the A400M, while ensuring a high standard of reliability.

Thales designed the Centralised Crypto Management System (CCMS) found in the cockpit of
the A400M. This system rationalises the process of loading and erasing cryptographic keys
to equipment (radios, IFF, MIDS, GPS, etc).

Thales and Missile Warning Systems

Advanced missile warning systems and counter-measures play a vital role in countering the
increasing occurrence of missile threats. Thales and EADS co-developed the A400M’s
missile warning system, to detect, track and warn the pilot in case of hostile missiles. The
passive missile warning system, MIRAS (Multi-colour Infrared Alerting Sensors), offers a very
large hemispheric range of self protection coverage onboard the A400M to thwart such
threats.

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MIRAS provides superior protection for the aircraft by greatly reducing the occurrence of
false alarms, while still providing excellent detection. This innovative solution consists of
three sensors, equipped with next generation bi-spectral detectors, to offer protection
surrounding the entire aircraft. These sensors are linked to the MIRAS processor, which
works in close combination with the A400M’s main DASS processor.

These sensors draw on band subtraction algorithms, which provide the capability to eliminate
the background (air, land and sea) and sun reflections while revealing threat hot spots. The
system is designed to perform within a short reaction time in tandem with decoy dispensers.

The MIRAS warning system will also designate infrared missile threats to DIRCM (Directed
Infra Red Counter-Measures) equipment, currently being developed by EADS, Thales,
Sagem and Diehl. FLASH DIRCM is a state-of-the-art infrared countermeasure system
based on closed loop tracking technology that carries out threat confirmation, identification,
jamming and defeat assessment. Combined with the DASS processor, this will improve
protection of the A400M against present and future generations of infrared-guided missiles.

Thales and Power Generation

The Thales-Goodrich joint venture, Aerolec, is supplying the electrical power generation
system onboard the A400M. This system is designed to meet a total power supply
requirement of 400kVA, representing a significant increase in power supply strength
compared to previous generation air lifters.

Thales is a technology leader in onboard variable frequency electrical power generation. The
solution for the A400M is based on variable-frequency generators, as opposed to the
conventional hydromechanical constant-speed drives, which are comparatively bulky, heavy
and complex. The benefits of the new-generation system include space and weight savings,
enhanced reliability and lower ownership costs.

The aerospace industry is increasingly recognising that variable frequency is a key enabling
technology behind the “more electric aircraft” concept that is driving the development of even
greener aircraft for the future.

Thales is very proud to be onboard the A400M and to have worked alongside Airbus to
tailor the very latest technological innovations to meet the needs of the different
nations involved in the A400M program.