Chris Jasper/LONDON
The evolution of British Aerospace and Aerospatiale from European giants into major global players has taken a further step, with BAe formalising its merger with Marconi Electronic Systems and the French company naming the management team that will take control following its tie-up with Matra Hautes Technologies.
While neither advances the fast-fading ambition of establishing a single European aerospace and defence company, consolidation has been hastened in the peripheral areas of missiles and space through the talks on future mergers.
Potential regulatory opposition is the only remaining obstacle to the Marconi deal following last week's signing of a definitive agreement between BAe and GEC - although the UK's invoking of Article 223 of the Treaty of Rome just a few days later means military aspects of the merger will not be disclosed to the European Commission, thus limiting the scope of any investigation to civil operations.
Meanwhile, the EC has cleared the Aerospatiale merger with Lagardère's Matra, competition chief Karel Van Miert saying it can go ahead once minor concerns in the satellite sector are resolved.
Aerospatiale Matra's corporate structure will have six group managing directors responsible for satellites, aircraft, information systems and telecomms, strategic planning, space transport and business development, under chairman Yves Michot and chief executive Philippe Camus. Francois Auque becomes chief financial officer.
• BAe chief executive John Weston says talks on missiles consolidation to create the world's number two player behind Raytheon are under way. BAe is a partner with Lagardère in Matra BAe Dynamics, while Finmeccanica is involved in the talks because of its 50% holding in Alenia Marconi Systems - which could complicate BAe's Marconi deal. Matra BAe Dynamics also holds 30% of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) subsidiary LFK.
• Dasa says it is in the final stages of talks over a merger of its space interests with Matra Marconi Space. A further merger with Alenia Spazio will create the third largest space player.
Source: Flight International