Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the committee.
Let me first introduce the two speakers representing EADS and Airbus Military at this meeting. My name is Hervé Garnier and my responsibilities are senior vice-president of EADS, including regular strategy and marketing for Europe and Canada at the corporate level. I am also chairman of EADS Canada, our Ottawa-based subsidiary. My colleague, Antonio Rodriguez Barberan, is senior vice-president, commercial, and member of the board of Airbus Military, one of EADS's main business units.
It's an honour for us to be here today and to address and highlight to such a distinguished audience the special relationship between EADS and Canada. We will present an overview about EADS and Airbus Military credentials, C-295 military aircraft highlights, C-295's compelling solution for Canada's fixed-wing SAR program, and finally the IRB strategy.
EADS is a global leader in aeronautical defence, space, and related services. The company is divided into four main divisions: Airbus, Eurocopter, Cassidian, and Astrium. EADS's latest programs include Tiger and LH90 helicopters, M400 military transport aircraft, Airbus A380, Eurofighter, and the European Galileo navigation satellite system, to name a few.
Over the years we have built a strong customer base, generating an annual turnover of 43 billion euros and an order backlog of more than 400 billion euros. Our global staff include over 120,000 employees in more than 50 countries worldwide.
EADS and its predecessor have been steadily committed to and present in Canada during the last two decades. This is through direct subsidiaries, EADS Canada in Ottawa, Eurocopter Canada in Ontario, Composites Atlantic in Nova Scotia, and PlantCML in Quebec. All together, they provide 700 direct jobs.
In addition to that, the programs of EADS divisions, including the procurement from more than 460 Canadian companies, generate more than $800 million Canadian a year. They also support more than 4,000 Canadian jobs. This allows the sustainable participation of Canadian companies coast to coast, small and large, in the global supply chain of EADS.
Let me now give the floor to Antonio Rodriguez Barberan.
Thank you.