Airbus Defence and Space
European aerospace and defense division of Airbus.
Airbus Defence and Space is the defense and space division of Airbus, recipient of a €200M European Defence Fund award (Feb 2026) for secure military satellite communications. In October 2025, Airbus D&S signed a memorandum of understanding with Leonardo and Thales to combine their space businesses into a new joint venture (Airbus holding 35%, Leonardo and Thales 32.5% each), targeted to be operational in 2027. The division is led by CEO Michael Schoellhorn.
Overview
- Headquarters
- Ottobrunn/Taufkirchen, Germany
- Founded
- 2014
- Employees
- ~36,347 (2024, reported)
- Total funding
- Public
- Stage
- Public
- Status
- public
- Domains
- Space, Defense electronics, Satellite communications
Founders0
No linked records yet.
Investors0
No linked records yet.
Cap table0
Approximate ownership by holder. Indexed holders link to their records.
| Holder | Instrument | Ownership |
|---|
Contracts3
- ContractSATCOMBw 3 — German Armed Forces Secure Military Satellite CommunicationsPrime contract awarded to Airbus Defence and Space to design, build, and operate a next-generation secure military satellite communications system for the German Armed Forces.
- ContractNATO A330 MRTT Fleet ExpansionNSPA contract for two additional Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft, expanding the Multinational MRTT Fleet Unit to 12 aircraft.
- ContractEuropean Defence Fund — Four R&D Projects (Airbus-Coordinated)Airbus Defence and Space coordinated four European Defence Fund R&D projects awarded €40.7M in EU funding plus member-state co-financing.
Programs3
- ProgramEurofighter TyphoonEurope's largest joint defence programme; Airbus Defence and Space is a core industrial partner alongside Leonardo and BAE Systems on the Eurofighter Typhoon multirole combat aircraft.
- ProgramA400M AtlasTactical/strategic military transport aircraft designed and built by Airbus Defence and Space.
- ProgramGalileoEU's global satellite navigation system; Airbus Defence and Space provides system expertise, and its subsidiary SSTL built all operational first-generation Galileo navigation payloads.
Frequently asked
- What does Airbus Defence and Space do?
- Airbus Defence and Space is the defense and space division of Airbus, recipient of a €200M European Defence Fund award (Feb 2026) for secure military satellite communications. In October 2025, Airbus D&S signed a memorandum of understanding with Leonardo and Thales to combine their space businesses into a new joint venture (Airbus holding 35%, Leonardo and Thales 32.5% each), targeted to be operational in 2027. The division is led by CEO Michael Schoellhorn.
- Where is Airbus Defence and Space headquartered?
- Airbus Defence and Space is headquartered in Ottobrunn/Taufkirchen, Germany and was founded in 2014.
- What does Airbus Defence and Space specialize in?
- Airbus Defence and Space works across Space, Defense electronics, Satellite communications.
- Does Airbus Defence and Space hold government contracts?
- Defense Tech Atlas links Airbus Defence and Space to 3 government contracts and 3 programs.
Tags
Sources & citations2
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