GICAT (French Land Defence Manufacturers Association) was formed in 1979 by Land armament industrial organisations. Its two main aims were to bring together this sector’s interests in a cohesive way and to represent the land and air land sector to public ministries.

 

GICAT is the professional group representing the industrial sector supplying equipment to the French Land forces and exports Land and Air land equipment.

 

Today’s set-up provides GICAT with a platform for maintaining its ongoing relationships with the national public departments, the DGA (General Delegation for Armament), the Land Forces Headquarters (EMAT) and the Army Headquarters (EMA). It also provides the opportunity to play an international role, particularly where Europe is concerned, through its representation within the ASD (European Association for Aerospace and Defence Industries) and ELDIG, its representation in the Land sector. Furthermore, GICAT has initiated specific relationships with the Gendarmerie (Military Police) and the National Police Force in the Home Security sector.

 

 

GICAT’s strong representation in the French Land and Air land Defence industry, and its growing impact in its relationship with the Public sector, specifically the Ministry of Defence,

have reinforced its federating role among Land and Air land industrial organisations as well as its coordinating role within its own divisions where a strategy is defined for the Land , Air Land and security sector and its ambassadorial role with Public or governmental institutions. 

 

GICAT members are not only particularly interested in the sector aspects and specificities of the Land and Air land equipment, but also very attentive about the French Defence industry’s general problems as a whole. For this reason, GICAT played a major role in CIDEF’s reorganisation in January 2002 (Advisory Council for French Defence Industries), of which it is a founding and active member.

 

CIDEF brings together various French Defence industry groups and professional associations, i.e. GICAN, GICAT and GIFAS.

 

CIDEF has organised committees, which are in charge of common subjects regarding the industrial Defence sectors (budget, international affairs and regulation). These committees enable GICAT members to be involved in defending French industry’s general interests, both nationally and internationally and in reinforcing its specific role regarding the Land and Air land sectors.

 

 

 

In 1999, the group’s particularity led the Land Army Chief of Staff and the Chairman of GICAT to sign a partnership agreement, which has had important, concrete implications. For example, the Land Army-Land Defence Industry Convention held on 30 May 2000 brought together thousands of representatives of industrial organisations and military staff focussing on the theme of the Land Forces’ equipment, the 2001 and 2002 campaigns which highlighted to Parliament and Cabinet Ministries the necessity for a considerable budget to be allocated to a professional land army, the action required at a European level for improving the harmonisation of the operational requirements of their land forces. Also to be noted, are the joint information campaigns, Industry-Land Army units, which have occurred since 1999, the high level meetings held between the Land Army and GICAT and, lastly, joint working groups, DCMAT-GICAT-DGA about the Operational Condition Situation (MCO). A new codicil to this partnership was signed in February 2007 by the Land Army Chief of Staff and Chairman of GICAT. This codicil brings together the DGA and the Army Headquarters and highlights the fields where common action will take place in 2007 and 2008.

 

GICAT in an international role

 

The construction of Europe for Defence and Armament is a strategic objective which led to coherent action plans being defined in 2008 in view of the EU French Presidency. These plans were initiated by the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) and national industrial groups (CIDEF) and European (ASD)

 

GICAT is therefore a committed player in the European bodies, which are developing Europe’s Defence industry.

 

As a long-term EDIG member, GICAT has actively participated in bringing together EDIG and AECMA which today form the European Association, ASD (European Association of Aerospace and Defence Industries). ASD is the striking arm of European industry for constructing European Defence.

 

GICAT has also actively participated in creating a European Land sector (ELDIG) in 2004, which has become an important player in the ASD organisation. The Chairman of GICAT will hold ELDIG’s presidency for two years from the summer of 2008.

 

Lastly, GICAT maintains important, ongoing relationships with non-European equivalent organisations, particularly a sustained partnership with its American counterpart, the AUSA (Association of the United States Army). It is also working with the German BDI to set out the industrial level guidelines for cooperating on future programs, defined within the Franco-German conference, CTFA, bringing together the two Headquarters and DGA-BWB. 

 

GICAT instructs COGES (General Commission for Shows and Exhibitions) to:

 

•       Market and organise EUROSATORY, the largest biannual (even years) worldwide exhibition for Land, Air land Defence and security.

 

 

•         Encourage, together with the DGA/DDI, French companies, members or non-members of GICAT, to participate in major “Land” exhibitions organised abroad (AUSA in Washington, DSEi in London, IDEF in Ankara, IDET in Brno, IDEX in Abu-Dhabi, MSPO in Kielce). This could lead to a joint stand called “Pavilion France”.

 

 

GICAT is also responsible for updating the catalogue of French Land Defence equipment, in conjunction with its members. This catalogue includes the pictures and technical fiches of the equipment selected by the companies involved and is published a few weeks before EUROSATORY. It is distributed by COGES to French Headquarters, organisations involved in Defence and security, as well as French Embassies abroad and Foreign Embassies in France.

 

In summary, GICAT is a professional organisation which brings together companies involved in the industrial sector which equip Land and Air land forces and security. It plays a federating role in these sectors and its function is within CIDEF’s general framework. GICAT is an active member of CIDEF and fulfils its mandate through all the sectors’ parameters.