Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH
DAIMLER-BENZ Aerospace (DASA) is restructuring its satellite and missile divisions in preparation for the founding of two joint ventures with Aerospatiale of France.
The German company has announced plans to form two new daughter companies in these fields - Dornier Satellitensysteme (Dornier Satellite Systems) and LFK-Lenkflugkorpersysteme (Guided-Missile Systems) - which will constitute the German parts of the planned joint ventures now known as European Missile Systems (EMS) and European Satellite Industries (ESI). The companies are to be established during August.
According to DASA, Dornier Satellitensysteme will also be the holding company for the ESI venture, while EMS will be controlled from France. The ownership of both ventures is to be divided evenly between the partners.
The new satellite company will be led by Dr Klaus Ensslin, now head of the Friedrichshafen based Information and Communications Systems, division of Dornier. Ulf Wossagk, now a senior manager at DASA's defence and civil systems division, is to become managing director of the missile company.
While the industrial participants in the Franco-German joint ventures are agreed on the terms of their foundation, the go-ahead for the projects still depends on Germany's participation in the French Helios 2 and Osiris military-satellite programmes. A decision on this is now expected from the German Government in September.
Upon Ensslin's transfer to the new satellite firm, the leadership of Dornier's Information and Communications Systems division will be passed on to Dr Matthias Hondl, who today manages DASA's Sensor Systems division in Ulm.
Source: Flight International