Airbus, Thales, Leonardo form European space giant amid global contest

ROME — Europe’s three big space operators have announced a merger of their space businesses to take on competitors like Elon Musk’s Starlink. Airbus, Thales and Leonardo will pool their space efforts in a new company employing 25,000 staff with an an annual turnover of about €6.5 billion ($7.5 billion) and a three-year order backlog, the firms said on Thursday.

“The combination is expected to generate mid triple-digit million-euro of total annual synergies on operating income five years after closing,” the firms added.

The new company, which has been in the pipeline for months, aims at boosting “Europe’s strategic autonomy in space, a major sector that underpins critical infrastructure and services related to telecommunications, global navigation, earth observation, science, exploration and national security,” the firms stated.

“This new company also intends to serve as the trusted partner for developing and implementing national sovereign space programs,” they added.

The firm should be operational by 2027, they said.

Airbus will take a 35% stake with Leonardo and Thales each taking a 32.5% stake, while the firm will operate “under joint control, with a balanced governance structure among shareholders,” the firms said.

Executives including Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani have spoken of the need for Europe’s space businesses to come together in the same way Airbus, Leonardo and BAE Systems have merged their missile activities in MBDA.

Airbus will insert its Space Systems and Space Digital businesses into the new firm, while Leonardo will contribute its Space Division, including its shares in Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space. Thales will contribute with stakes in Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio and Thales SESO.

Europe’s space businesses have long planned to ally after struggling to keep up with fierce competition from Elon Musk’s Starlink. But industry mergers have also faced opposition from European Union anti-trust officials who fear a concentration of power in the industry could stifle competition on the continent.

In their statement the firms said it was time for Europe to bulk up to take on competition from overseas. The new company, they said, would “Increase competitiveness facing global players, reaching critical mass and ensuring Europe secures its role as a major player in the international space market.”

Leonardo’s Cingolani, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury and Thales CEO Patrice Caine, added, “This partnership aligns with the ambitions of European governments to strengthen their industrial and technological assets, ensuring Europe’s autonomy across the strategic space domain and its many applications.”

Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News.

罗马——欧洲三大航天运营商宣布合并旗下航天业务，以对抗埃隆·马斯克旗下的星链等竞争对手。空客、泰雷兹和莱昂纳多周四表示，三家公司将整合各自的航天业务，成立一家新公司，员工人数达2.5万人，年营业额约为65亿欧元（75亿美元），并拥有三年的订单储备。

两家公司补充说：“预计合并完成后五年内，每年将为营业收入带来数亿欧元的协同效应。”

这家筹备了数月的新公司旨在提升“欧洲在太空领域的战略自主性，太空是支撑关键基础设施和服务（包括电信、全球导航、地球观测、科学、探索和国家安全）的重要领域”，该公司表示。

他们补充说：“这家新公司还计划成为国家主权太空计划开发和实施的值得信赖的合作伙伴。”

他们表示，该公司应该会在2027年投入运营。

空客将持有 35% 的股份，莱昂纳多和泰雷兹将各持有 32.5% 的股份，而该公司将“在共同控制下运营，股东之间实行平衡的治理结构”，这些公司表示。

包括莱昂纳多首席执行官罗伯托·辛戈拉尼在内的多位高管都曾表示，欧洲的航天企业需要像空客、莱昂纳多和英国航空航天系统公司（BAE Systems）将其导弹业务合并到MBDA一样，走到一起。

空客将把其空间系统和空间数字业务并入新公司，而莱昂纳多将贡献其空间部门，包括其在Telespazio和泰雷兹阿莱尼亚宇航公司的股份。泰雷兹将贡献其在泰雷兹阿莱尼亚宇航公司、Telespazio和泰雷兹SESO的股份。

欧洲航天企业长期以来一直计划结盟，以应对来自埃隆·马斯克旗下星链计划的激烈竞争。但行业合并也遭到欧盟反垄断官员的反对，他们担心行业权力集中可能会扼杀欧洲大陆的竞争。

这些公司在声明中表示，欧洲是时候增强实力，应对来自海外的竞争了。他们说，新公司将“提升欧洲在全球航天领域的竞争力，达到临界规模，确保欧洲巩固其在国际航天市场的重要地位。”

莱昂纳多公司的辛戈拉尼、空客公司首席执行官纪尧姆·福里和泰雷兹公司首席执行官帕特里斯·凯恩补充道：“此次合作符合欧洲各国政府加强其工业和技术资产的雄心壮志，确保欧洲在战略空间领域及其众多应用方面的自主性。”

汤姆·金顿是《防务新闻》驻意大利记者。