Airbus Military now a division of Airbus

Published 17 April 2009

Airbus Military, formerly a division of EADS, manufactures aircraft which are mainly used in cargo transport, search and rescue, special operations, maritime, and airlift applications

The war on terror has created a need to lift military units and their equipment to far-away places on short notice. It is thus wise to keep an eye on companies which specialize in what the military call “lift capability.” We note that Airbus has formally integrated Airbus Military as a new business division, bringing more than 4,500 skilled employees into the company. The division will be based in Spain and its activities will range from global support for operators to development and integration of aircraft military systems for industrialization.

As the former military division of parent company, EADS, Airbus Military’s product line includes the C-212, CN-235, and C-295 families of tactical transports. These are mainly used in cargo transport, search and rescue, special operations, maritime, and airlift applications. Included in the range is the A330 Multi-role Tanker Transport. Based on the Airbus A330-200 civil jetliner, the aircraft has been selected by the U.K. Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for next generation of tanker/transport duties.

The final aircraft in the product line is the A400M. This multi-role airlifter has been developed to replace the C-130 Hercules and C-160 Transall fleets and has twice their payload capacity. Airbus Military responsibilities will also extend to future military derivatives of Airbus civil aircraft.