Airbus (Airbus SE) is one of the largest aviation companies in the world, and a significant producer of military aircraft, drones and satellite and communications systems. It is headquartered in France. Airbus currently has three business segments – Airbus, Airbus Helicopters and Airbus Defence and Space. Airbus was created in 2000 as the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), and Airbus Defence and Space was created 2014 during the restructuring of EADS. Airbus Defence and Space is headquartered in Germany.
Airbus Defence and Space handles its defence products. In 2024, it was reorganised into the following sections: Air Power (covering all air defence capabilities), Space Systems, and Connected Intelligence.
Airbus announced 2024 revenues of € 69.2 billion for its global business, which included € 12.3 billion for its Airbus Defence and Space business. Airbus Defence and Space reported orders in 2024 worth € 16.7 billion, which included an additional 25 Eurofighter military jets for the Spanish air force. Airbus SE has over 200 subsidiaries, and Airbus Defence and Space has subsidiaries in over 40 countries. In total, Airbus employs 157,000 staff in over 180 locations. Airbus has applied for UK export licenses to a large number of countries, including the UAE, Turkey, Germany, Singapore, the US, France, Taiwan, Australia, Italy, Malaysia, Spain, South Africa, Brazil, Luxembourg, and Saudi Arabia.
Airbus in the UK
Airbus reports that it is the UK’s largest civil aerospace company and its foremost exporter in aeronautics. It employs 79,000 persons across 25 sites. It has four active UK subsidiaries including Airbus Defence and Space Limited, Airbus Helicopters UK Limited, Airbus Operations Limited, and Satair.
It is the Royal Air Force’s largest supplier of large aircraft, including the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) and the A400M multi-role airlifters, which it maintains at RAF Brize Norton. Wing assembly and equipping for the global fleet of A400M heavy airlifter craft is carried out at Airbus’ facility at Filton, near Bristol. At its Newport site in Wales, Airbus produces secure connectivity, cyber solutions, and infrastructure protection solutions for NATO and UK government clients.
Combat aircraft
Airbus’ military aircraft portfolio includes the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, the A400M airlifter, the C295, CN235 and C212 tactical transport aircrafts, the A310 and A330 MRTT refuelling tankers, and a range of military helicopters. A June 2025 summary by Airbus lists the numbers and types of its aircraft ordered and delivered globally. Some notable cases are highlighted below.
Eurofighter
Airbus owns a 46% share of the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft programme, making it the lead partner in a consortium that includes BAE Systems and Leonardo. Typhoon aircraft have been widely used by air forces including the UK (in Libya, Syria and Iraq), Austria, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Oman, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar. Airbus contributes the Typhoon’s centre fuselage section, through Airbus Germany, and its right wing, through Airbus Spain. These and the other parts of the Typhoon are shipped to Typhoon’s four assembly lines where the jets are assembled: in Spain and in Germany (by Airbus), in Italy (by Leonardo), and in the UK (by BAE Systems).
Airbus produces Eurofighters for the German air force in Germany near Ingolstadt and for the Spanish air force in Getafe near Madrid. Airbus will deliver 38 Tranche 4 Eurofighters for the German Air Force and 20 new Tranche 4 Eurofighters to the Spanish Air Force between 2025 and 2030.
The A400M is a heavy airlifter capable of carrying 37 tonnes over 4,500 km. A440M feature heavily in the French air force’s fleet and are used by French missions in west Africa, for example in Mali. In 2024 Airbus delivered eight A400M military airlifters to Kazakhstan, the country’s first. Indonesia acquired two A400Ms in 2021, and Airbus hoped to sell a further four in 2024, Intelligence Online reports.
The A330 MRTT (multirole tanker transport) is operated in Australia, France, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, and the UK. Saudi Arabia ordered four more of the craft in 2024.
Helicopters
Airbus Caracal helicopters have been used by France’s MI-6 and CIA equivalent, the DGSE, and French media reports that the DGSE will renew its use of the helicopters for its clandestine missions abroad. In 2018, Ukraine acquired 55 helicopters from Airbus. Guyana has also acquired Caracal helicopters in 2025.
Future Combat Air System
Airbus is the prime contractor for Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS). FCAS is being developed as a “‘system of systems’ combining a manned new generation fighter teaming with unmanned remote carriers, collaborating with upgraded existing and new platforms (e.g. Eurofighter, A400M, MRTT, Eurodrone, etc.) orchestrated by a multi‑domain combat cloud (‘MDCC’),” according to Airbus.
Drones
Airbus produces two Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), i.e. drone products. These include the medium-altitude, long-endurance Eurodrone – currently under development – and the tactical SIRTAP.
Eurdrone is being developed under a 4-nation programme involving of Germany (Airbus Defence and Space), France (via Dassault Aviation), Italy (Leonardo) and Spain. A total of 60 Eurodrones have been ordere, by Germany, Italy, France, and Spain. The first flight of a Eurodrone is expected in 2027. SIRTAP is a high capability tactical UAS for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, “providing rapid response for close target inspection.” A total of 9 SIRTAPs have been ordered, by Spain.
Missiles
Missiles and effectors for air- and ground-based platforms are developed and manufactured by MBDA, in which Airbus Defence and Space has a 37.5% stake. These include, for example, the air to surface missiles carried by French nuclear capable aircraft. France’s submarine launched nuclear ballistic missiles are produced by Ariane Group, a joint venture between Safran and Airbus . Safran also provides propulsion systems and avionics for France’s nuclear capable combat aircraft.
Military communications
Airbus Defence and Space produces defence communications products and platforms under its ‘connected intelligence’ segment, a further subsection of which is called ‘Cyber and Defence Digital.’ Germany awarded Airbus the SATCOMBw 3 prime contract for a next-generation secure military communications satellite system in 2024.
Controversies
Saudi Arabia and Yemen
The Eurofighter Typhoon, manufactured by Airbus with Leonardo and BAE systems, has been a core part of the Saudi military’s devastating attacks on Yemen over the past several years.
Attacks have also used Brimstone and Storm Shadow missiles from MBDA, a company part-owned by Airbus. MBDA’s missile sales to Saudi Arabia include: Storm Shadow cruise missiles, Brimstone air-to-surface missiles, both produced in the UK, among others (see CAAT’s feature on the companies that supplied the war in Yemen). The UK government has confirmed that Dual Mode Brimstone and Storm Shadow missiles have been used in Yemen. For more information, see CAAT’s Stop Arming Saudi Arabia campaign.
The Saudi government also has enhanced satellite observation capacities courtesy of Airbus’ UP42 platform, purchased by Neo Space Group, a Saudi public company in 2024, Intelligence Online reports. Airbus also operates the Saudi Border Guard Development Program (SBGDP also known as the MIKSA program), for which it, as EADS, won a € 7 billion contract in 2009. The SBGDP comprises sensors, radars and surveillance posts along Saudi Arabia’s borders with Iraq and Yemen.
Myanmar
In 2024, campaign group Justice for Myanmar published a report alleging that the Myanmar military uses French-manufactured Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) aircraft in the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity. ATR is an aircraft manufacturer that is a joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo. The campaign group had filed an OECD complaint against Airbus which is pending in 2025. In its response, Airbus stated that it had not supplied defence products to Myanmar or its armed forces. In 2025, Airbus reported that it had divested from a Chinese subsidiary doing business with the Myanmar military.
Border control
Airbus provides a range of border control and coastal surveillance technologies. For example, it produces the Styris coastal surveillance system, currently used by France.
Airbus has been particularly involved in Europe-wide efforts to patrol and surveil migration routes in the Mediterranean. It is a key supplier of helicopters used in patrolling maritime and some land borders, including in maritime Operations Sophia, Poseidon and Triton – three European naval collaborations inaugurated in 2015 to stem the arrivals of migrants by small boats into Europe, according to research published by the Transnational Institute (TNI). The TNI also reports Airbus and/or its subsidiaries have participated in at least 13 EU-funded border security research projects including OCEAN2020, PERSEUS and LOBOS.
In 2020, Airbus subsidiary Airbus Defence and Space Airborne Solutions (ADAS) and partner, Israeli arms company Israel Aerospace Industries were awarded a € 50 million contract by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to provide medium altitude long endurance maritime surveillance services through Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). Missions would rely on the IAI’s “Heron” RPAS which would use electro-optical and infrared surveillance technology to detect migrant boats within Greece, Italian and Maltese waters. Responding to the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, which raised concerns about the contract, Airbus stated that its primary aim was to “support search and rescue missions”.
US Customs and Border Protection, which patrols migrant crossings on the US’ southern border, uses an Airbus AS350/H125 A-Star helicopter. The agency acquired 16 new H125 helicopters uniquely configured for air and marine operations from an Airbus subsidiary in 2020.
Corruption allegations
Airbus has been the subject of several high-profile corruption scandals. In 2020, Airbus admitted to a long-running bribery and corruption scheme involving sales to at least 19 markets following a multi-year investigation by UK, French and US authorities. The company agreed to pay over US$ 3.9 billion in global penalties.
In 2012 the UK Serious Fraud Office opened an investigation into a UK subsidiary of Airbus, GPT Special Project Management, after allegations it had paid bribes to Saudi officials to win a communications contract for the Saudi National Guard. In 2024, a UK judge fined GPT SPM more than UK£ 30 million after the company pleaded guilty to bribing Saudi officials.
Airbus has faced allegations of corruption in a 2009 deal to provide three C-295 transport aircraft to the Ghanaian government. Airbus is alleged to have promised payments of € 5-6 million to consultants to facilitate the deal; these would have included to relatives of the then-vice president and later president of Ghana. Similarly, the Kuwait Ministry of Defence signed a contract in 2016 to purchase 30 H225M Caracal helicopters, and a Kuwaiti parliamentary probe alleged that Airbus engaged in “fraud and deception” and suspicious payments to secure the deal. Similar allegations have been made against Airbus or its predecessors in relation to a 2003 deal to sell Eurofighters to Austria, a 2013 contract to sell C-295s to Vietnam, and a 2012 contract to sell A330 civilian and C-295 military craft to Indonesia, among others.
