French Ministry of Defence Selects Blom

16 December 2008, 4:11pm

London, 16th December 2008 – Blom ASA, the leading pan-European provider of geographic information, has today announced an agreement to supply high-tech maps to the French Ministry of Defence. Blom will provide the mapping, production and creation of seamless data models derived from satellite imagery. The contract is valued at EUR 5 million over the next 5 years.

Blom has been awarded a five year frame contract with a consortium of EADS Defense and Security Systems S.A. and Thales Communications S.A., France, for the production of VMAP2i maps for the French Ministry of Defence. The contract will start during the first half of 2009.

“This agreement is a further confirmation that our services maintain high professional and commercial level and it is an international recognition of the expertise we represent,” said Håkon Jacobsen, CEO of Blom. “The contract underlines Blom’s focus on one of its important verticals, Safety, Security and Defence.”

VMAP2i is the French version of a joint NATO standard for measuring maps in scale 1:50.000 and 1:100.000. NATO nations and countries cooperating with NATO have agreed to the production of VMAP2 maps of large parts of the world, where NATO forces might be placed. VMAP2 cards are produced based on high resolution satellite images and supplementary information from other sources.

This is the latest in several major defense contracts Blom won during 2008. In August, Blom was awarded a similar contract with the Spanish defense, and earlier this year signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

Blom ASA

Geo: International