European Aeronautic Defence and Space is known as "EADS" for short.
EADS is the world's second largest aerospace company after Boeing. It was formed by the merger of French and German companies in the year 2000. The headquarters today are in Paris and Munich.
The Munich headquarters are actually located at Ottobrunn. This is just south of Munich. Take the S-Bahn S6 south. Ottobrunn is 2 stops beyond Neuperlach Süd.
How many workers are employed at Ottobrunn?
The workforce is international with many of Munich's English speaking community employed there.
EADS has three major divisions:
- Civilian aircraft - EADS owns 80% of airbus (other 20% is BAE Systems)
- Defence aircraft - eurocopter (100%), eurofighter (46%, rest is BAE and Italy)
- Space - rockets (Ariane 4&5), spacecraft (telco, observation, science), and space systems.
EADS announced in November 2003 that they are working on a replacement aircraft for the Concord. EADS are also a major contributor to International Space Station - they are building the Columbus science laboratory which will be installed in the year 2007.
The work in Ottobrunn includes:
- Development of Military Aircraft
- System laboratories, testing, Simulation
- Operation of satellites
- Research
- Engineering, Composite, Mechatronics, Microsystems, Optronics, Patents
- Surface & Chemical Engineering
- Space Transport
- rocket thrust chambers and valves (Ariane 5 and others)
- testing and analysis labs
- Spacecraft
- subsystems, avionics, anntennae, solar panels, optics, galileo navigation
- eurocopter
- development, flight testing, prototype production
See also: