Airbus // Universal Registration Document 2023
1. Information on the Company’s Activities 1.1 Presentation of the Company
Eurofighter combat aircraft. The Eurofighter multi-role combat aircraft (also referred to as Typhoon) has been designed to enhance fleet efficiency through a single flying weapon system capable of fulfilling both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH shareholders are Airbus Defence and Space (46%), BAE Systems (33%) and Leonardo (21%). With regards to series production, the respective production work shares of the participating partners within the Eurofighter consortium stand at 43% for Airbus Defence and Space, 37.5% for BAE Systems and 19.5% for Leonardo. Airbus Defence and Space develops and manufactures the centre fuselage and the right wing and leading edge slats for all aircraft, and is in charge of final assembly of aircraft ordered by the German, Spanish and Austrian air forces. At the end of 2023, 680 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft had been ordered by nine customers (UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar). This includes the order of 38 aircraft from Germany in November 2020, and more recently the order of 20 aircraft from Spain in June 2022 to replace the ageing fleet of EF-18A Hornets. By the end of 2023 a total of 603 aircraft were delivered. Export opportunities are being actively developed together with the other shareholders of the Eurofighter consortium. C295 – Light and Medium military transport/mission aircraft. The C295 is the workhorse of tactical military transport, conducting logistical missions including the transport and delivery of personnel and cargo as well as medical evacuations. The aircraft are deployed in demanding operational environments and have been used for humanitarian missions. The aircraft are also offered as a dedicated mission aircraft with configurations beyond the traditional airlifter version, for example maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare, airborne early warning and control, firefighting and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (“ ISR ”), among other missions. In service for more than 20 years, this family of aircraft has proven to be robust, reliable, high-performing, efficient, flexible, easy to operate in any environment, and with low operating costs. 299 orders have been recorded for the C295 by 41 operators at the end of 2023, including the historical order by the Indian Air Force in 2021 for 56 C295 to replace their legacy fleet. The first Indian Air Force aircraft was delivered in September 2023. In 2023, the Spanish Ministry of Defence ordered 16 C295 in maritime patrol and maritime surveillance configurations. In the field of UAS platforms, Airbus Defence and Space is active at both product and service level, supplying robust and dependable solutions for customers across military, commercial and institutional markets. Solutions span from tactical UAS to stratospheric solar powered High Altitude Platform Station (“ HAPS ”). Eurodrone – Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (“ MALE RPAS ”) is the first unmanned aerial system designed for flight in non-segregated airspace. It will give Europe its own unparalleled competencies in the field of UAS, offering advanced strategic performance capabilities. The characteristics will include mission modularity for ISR missions, guaranteeing European sovereignty. As a four-nation project, Eurodrone will strengthen European sovereignty by establishing and expanding an independent technological base in the field of unmanned aviation.
The programme between Germany, France, Spain and Italy and under the management of the international armaments agency, OCCAR promotes European cooperation in the field of security and defence and confirms the initiative to increasingly rely on multinational armament projects. Development, procurement and operation will be carried out jointly, which saves costs and increases efficiency. Eurodrone is designed to become one of the main pillars of any future combat air system, prepared for real integration into civil airspace based on minimal restrictions and easy transportability due to its modular design. The design will offer multi-mission capabilities and significant growth potential, for homeland operations, Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (“ ISTAR ”) and armed ISTAR, which can be conducted with full operational sovereignty. In 2023, Japan joined the Eurodrone programme as an observer. Zephyr – solar-electric stratospheric HAPS is capable of flying continuously for months at a time, at around 70,000ft, above weather and conventional air traffic. It remains the only fixed-wing HAPS to have demonstrated day/night longevity in the stratosphere. It offers a range of continuous surveillance, communications and monitoring services for both military and civil markets. In January 2023, Airbus HAPS Connectivity Solutions Ltd, the company behind Zephyr, was rebranded as AALTO HAPS Ltd, with the aim to seek external partners. Airbus plans to maintain ownership in AALTO, but will consider outside investment to help accelerate the Company’s objectives. SIRTAP – Sistema RPAS Táctico de Altas Prestaciones (or High Performance Remotely Manned System) is the next generation tactical fixed-wing UAS designed to meet the operational requirements of armed forces and governmental agencies around the world, providing an extended endurance and flexible payload in a range of capabilities adapted to fulfil ISR missions across military and civil markets. Thanks to its dual-use, it will be capable of carrying missions such as maritime surveillance, search and rescue, natural disaster relief, fire fighting support, as well as target identification, damage evaluation operations, ISTAR missions and convoy protection, among others. Next generation air superiority programmes such as FCAS will feature strong UAS components, spurring the development of different types of Remote Carriers, and leveraging Manned Unmanned Teaming (“ MUM-T ”) technologies. In 2023, Airbus signed a contract with the Spanish Ministry of Defence for the development and acquisition of nine SIRTAP systems, each consisting of three unmanned aerial vehicles and one ground control station. Two simulators will also be supplied. Air Power Services. Airbus Defence and Space offers and provides various services for and related to military aircraft and UAS. Throughout the life-time of our aircraft, the Company offers integrated logistics support, in-service support, maintenance and upgrades, along with training and flight hour services. For example, the A330 MRTT contract with the UK Ministry of Defence through the Air Tanker consortium includes the provision for all necessary infrastructure, training, maintenance, flight management, fleet management and ground services to enable the Royal Air Force to fly air-to-air refuelling and transport missions worldwide.
56 Airbus Annual Report
Universal Registration Document 2023
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