Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus Defence and Space is a division of the Airbus Group and was formed in January 2014 by merging business activities from Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military. This new division is Europe´s leading defence and space company, and the worlds´s second-biggest space company and among the first ten biggest defence companies in the world.

Sites
Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia

Employees
40.000 worldwide, 2.500 in Friedrichshafen

Turnover in €
14 billions

Foundation
2000 (EADS)

Typical product application
At the Friedrichshafen site:
Development of satellites, instruments and components for earth observation, meteorology and scientific space exploration, experimental systems for zero gravity research, command, reconnaissance - and monitoring systems, avionics and target drones


Competence

Core Competences

• System management for earth observation, navigation and scientific satellites, radar and optical instruments
• Electronical equipment, mechanisms
• Secure and commercial satellite communication and networks, geo-information services
• Reconnaissance and monitoring systems
• Command and communication systems
• Avionics and sensorsystems

Division characteristics
Complete coverage of the entire value chain; high end technologies

Product benefit
State-of-the-art developments in space technology in everyday application (telecommunications, navigation, remote sensing, meteorology, environmental monitoring, security), situational awareness for pilots, border control, mobile military hospitals and protection systems, sensors for air reconnaissance and space, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), target drones

Customers
Institutional clients as the European Space Agency ESA, aeronautical authority, civil and military customers, platform manufacturers for helicopters, fighter aircrafts, transport aircrafts and UAV.


Future

Challenges
New international markets

Major goals
Industrialisation and globalisation of remote sensing; avionics