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French report: Banner year for aerospace, defense

A French aerospace and defense association reports industry growth last year.

By Richard Tomkins

PARIS, May 4 (UPI) -- A French industry group reports that 2015 was a record year for the country's Aeronautical, Space, Defense and Security Industry.

Turnover increased 8.5 percent on a like-to-like basis to about $67.28 billion, and exports rose 14 percent to about $45.47 billion, which represented 83 percent of consolidated turnover.

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Marwan Lahoud, president of GIFAS, the French Aerospace Industries Association, said orders in 2015 came to about $90.36 billion, a 2.3 percent increase form 2014.

"This performance has allowed the industry, once again, to achieve the first surplus in France's 2015 trade balance of €22.2 billion [about $25.62 billion]," he said.

GIFAS has 364 members, including 64 equipment suppliers and 169 small and medium enterprises. The data reported this week come from a study the group commissioned from the Bank of France.

According to the report, French supply chain companies played an important role in the growth reported.

"This increase reflects the way our industry operates," said Patrick Daher, vice-president of the GIFAS Equipment Group. "It is organized into a coherent, unified, responsive and dynamic segment, which gives equipment suppliers and SMEs a share in prime contractors' growth."

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