Page 25 - ADT MAY-JUNE 2022 Online Magazine
P. 25

Breaking                                                       gear system for the helicopter, comprising the   [ INDUSTRY ]
                                                                       nose and main landing gear, tail bumper assem-
                                                                       bly,  extension/retraction  system  along  with
                                                                       wheels and brakes. The field is dominated by
                                                                       companies significantly bigger in size and with
                                                                       a much larger global footprint, but MA Group’s
        into the                                                       track record over more than eight decades, and
                                                                       its reputation for providing tailormade solutions
                                                                       for customers, helped it stave off stiff competi-
                                                                       tion to become a Defiant X team member.

                                                                       Paolo Graziano, Group CEO, knows that such
        Big League                                                     a  high-profile  entry  into  the  most  coveted
                                                                       defence market in the world is a springboard
                                                                       for major success, but he isn’t rushing to uncork
                                                                       the bubbly. “This is a starting point of some-
                                                                       thing special for us,” says Graziano. “We had
                                                                       the future vertical lift programme in mind when
                                                                       we acquired Blair-HSM in 2018. It feels good
         MA GROUP’S SELECTION AS DEFIANT X                             when a strategic move pays off. The best is
         SUPPLIER RAISES COMPANY’S INTERNATIONAL                       yet to come.”
         PROFILE AND HELPS IT GAIN A STRONG
         FOOTHOLD IN ONE OF THE MAJOR DEFENCE                          Entering a Major Market
         MARKETS                                                       The group’s U.S. operations, which consist of
                                                                       three facilities -  two in New York and one in
                                                                       North Carolina – will work in tandem with its
           Arun Sivasankaran                                           Italian facilities to design, develop, manufacture,
                                                                       and qualify the landing gear system. Ever since
                                                                       it was founded in 1936 – essentially to provide
        There is at least one David vs Goliath story hidden inside Sikorsky-  components to the Italian Air Force – the com-
        Boeing’s selection of suppliers for Defiant X, one of the two finalists  pany, which has offices in Brazil and the United
        for the US Army's future long-range assault aircraft (FLRAA) com-  Kingdom as well, has produced over 20,000
        petition.                                                      landing gears for more than 7,000 aircraft and
                                                                       helicopters, both civil and military.
        Magnaghi Aeronautica (MA Group), a mid-size company with its
        headquarters in Naples, Italy, will provide the fully integrated landing  “This contract is very important for us for a


        ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY                                                                May/June 2022 | 25
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