Chelton Flight Systems, S-TEC to Merge Operations

Boise, ID; Mineral Wells, TX – Two business units within Cobham’s Avionics and Surveillance Division, Chelton Flight Systems (CFS) and S-TEC, are to be merged to create an avionics center of excellence based in Mineral Wells, Texas. The move is part of Cobham’s drive to develop a fully integrated cockpit and improve its customer focus. The new integrated business unit will operate under a single management team by the end of 2008.

The capabilities of CFS and S-TEC are highly complementary, with products from both businesses certified together on more than 500 aircraft types. In total, the two businesses have certified equipment and systems on some 2,000 makes/models of fixed and rotary wing aircraft for the general and business aviation markets.

S-TEC, which was acquired by Cobham at the beginning of 2008, employs 180 people and operates out of a 10-acre engineering and production campus at the Mineral Wells Airport. The S-TEC facility currently has a 57,000 square foot administration, engineering and manufacturing plant and a 28,000-square-foot hangar, which houses the company’s flight operations.

Richard Tyson, President Cobham Avionics & Surveillance, commented: “We aim to make this move transparent to our customers and dealers. The only change we expect anyone to see is the introduction of a number of new and exciting integrated avionics systems.”

S-TEC Corporation, part of the Cobham Avionics & Surveillance Division, is a leading manufacturer of innovative avionics system solutions for the business and general aviation market. Considered the industry leader in autopilot and digital flight control design and innovation, S-TEC has delivered over 35,000 systems around the world.

Chelton Flight Systems, part of the Cobham Avionics & Surveillance Division, is the manufacturer of the world’s first FAA-certified synthetic vision EFIS, which is now STC’d on over 740 airplane and helicopter models.

Cobham’s products and services have been at the heart of sophisticated military and civil systems for more than 70 years, keeping people safe, improving communications and enhancing the capability of land, sea, air and space platforms. The company has four divisions employing more than 10,000 people on five continents, with customers and partners in over 100 countries, and annual revenues of more than £1bn.