US EditionDefense giants Airbus, Thales and Leonardo announce space merger to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink
- In a move to unify Europe's space sector, Airbus, Leonardo and Thales agreed on Oct. 23 to create a joint venture merging many of their space activities, calling it a pivotal milestone for Europe's space industry.
- Project Bromo has been under development for more than a year, with due diligence and antitrust preparations ongoing while summer talks stalled over valuation and governance discussions.
- The companies said the new firm will fold in Airbus Defence and Space's Space Systems and Space Digital, Leonardo's Space Division including Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space, and Thales SESO, excluding launch vehicle activities like Airbus's ArianeGroup stake.
- Projected to generate 6.5 billion euros in annual revenue, the new company would bring together about 25,000 employees across Europe working on satellites and space services.
- European antitrust approvals could take up to two years, and the companies said they expect operations to begin in 2027, subject to regulatory clearances.
118 Articles
118 Articles
The European companies Airbus, Leonardo and Thales want to bring together their space activities in a new company. The three companies announced that the bundling of their business with satellites and space systems should strengthen Europe's autonomy around important infrastructure such as telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, science and national security. They signed a corresponding declaration of intent.
A memorandum of understanding has been the first step by three European companies to become a ‘giant’ in terms of space technology and innovation.
So far, Airbus, Thales and Leonardo have been competitors in the satellite market. However, the superpower of Elon Musks SpaceX is now driving the three European defence and space companies into cooperation. The aim is to have consequences for all three players.
The European space industry is strengthening with an agreement between Airbus, Leonardo and Thales to create a group of satellites. Planned for 2027, this ambitious project aims to compete with Starlink.
The Airbus, Thales and Leonardo companies want to merge their space activities and build satellites together. The aim is to counterbalance European competitors in the USA.
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