EADS North America Creates Aerospace Internship Program for Students from South Carolina.

ARLINGTON, Va. & COLUMBIA, S.C. -- EADS North America is establishing a tri-state university-level engineering internship and cooperative program at the new Airbus Aircraft Engineering Center, which the company today announced will be located in Mobile, Alabama with operations beginning in

Graduate and undergraduate students from Florida, Mississippi and South Carolina will be selected to work at the Airbus facility under terms of five-year, $100,000 grants provided to each state by EADS North America.

Florida, Mississippi and South Carolina were finalists, along with Alabama, in EADS North America's nationwide search to select a location for the EADS Tanker Production Facility and the Airbus Engineering Center. The selected site will serve as a future industrial facility for the KC-330 advanced tanker. Both facilities will support the company's efforts to compete for the U.S. Air Force's future KC-135 tanker replacement.

"During the site selection process, we became familiar with the high caliber of students in the educational institutions of South Carolina," explained Ralph D. Crosby, Jr., EADS North America's Chairman and CEO. "This state is an excellent source of aerospace industry talent for the future, and we are pleased to offer an opportunity to South Carolina students to gain real-world experience at the new Airbus Engineering Center."

Participants in this unique aerospace program will be selected by the individual states. Internships may vary in length, depending on state requirements, and will be overseen by the Airbus Aircraft Engineering Center's director. The program will provide an opportunity for students to gain practical work experience while also supporting the ongoing university aerospace engineering programs in the three participating states - helping address the growing demand for qualified engineers in this critical field throughout the region.

The Airbus Engineering Center at Mobile's Brookley Industrial Complex will support continuing engineering work on commercial Airbus models and military derivative aircraft - including the A330, A340 and A350 jetliners, as well as the KC-330 tanker. It will start operations in early 2006, with employment growing to approximately 150 persons.

The Brookley Industrial Complex also would become the U.S. industrial facility for the KC-330 advanced tanker if the aircraft is chosen by the Air Force to modernize its aerial refueling fleet.

About EADS North America (www.eads-na.com)

EADS North America is the North American operations of EADS, the second largest aerospace and defense company in the world. As a leader in all sectors of defense and homeland security, EADS North America and its parent company, EADS, contribute over $6 billion to the U.S. economy annually and support more than 100,000 American jobs through their network of suppliers and services. With 11 operating companies located in 29 cities and 16 states, EADS North America offers a broad array of advanced solutions to its customers in the commercial, homeland security, aerospace and defense markets.

About Airbus North America (www.airbus.com)

A leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive product line on the market, Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK and Spain, as well as subsidiaries in the U.S., China and Japan. Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE Systems.

Further details on EADS North America's aerial refueling aircraft capabilities and the KC-330 advanced tanker are available at www.usatanker.com.