At the 8th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE 2008), Microturbo, a SAFRAN Group Company, announced the selection of Triumph Gear Systems, a subsidiary of Triumph Group Inc., as a partner to provide the gearbox for the e-APU, a new Auxiliary Power Unit specially designed and optimized to meet the specific needs of the business aircraft market.

Pursuant to the signed agreement, Triumph Gear Systems will be responsible for the development, production and qualification of the gearbox for Auxiliary Power Unit.

Triumph Gear Systems have more than 60 years of recognized expertise and know-how in the design, development and manufacture of dedicated APU power drive and actuation systems, making them an ideal partner for the e-APU project

"The signature of this partnership agreement is a major step towards in the launch of a new-generation Auxiliary Power Unit designed to meet the needs of future business jets which require more electrical power", stated Jean-Louis Chenard, chief executive officer of Microturbo.

The e-APU is scheduled for its first run on the test bed at the end of 2008 and for certification in 2011.