Self Defense Protectionism Rules in EU Arms Industry German Chancellor Angela Merkel loves to preach economic prudence to her European Union partners. But she looks the other way when it comes to the bloc's wasteful defense policy, and Europe's citizens are footing the bill -- to the tune of at least 26 billion a year. Von Gordon Repinski, Christoph Schult und Gerald Traufetter
Clipped Wings Berlin Struggles to Certify Military Plane German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière, in trouble over the costly cancellation of the Euro Hawk drone, faces a potentially even greater problem. Certification for the A400M military transport plane is behind schedule and plagued by legal pitfalls. Von Gerald Traufetter
Fighter Flaws Warplane Costs Soar amid Mismanagment Defense contractor EADS appears to have cut corners in its construction of the Eurofighter jet for the German military. The government faces billions in additional costs, but it doesn't want taxpayers to find out until after federal election this fall.
Challenging the Dreamliner Airbus A350 Takes Flight in Toulouse Competition for Boeing's Dreamliner arrived on Friday with the maiden flight of the new Airbus A350 wide-body jet. The plane took off from the company's plant in Toulouse for a four-hour test.
'Shards Bring Luck' EADS Searches for Strategy after Failed Merger In October, German government officials blocked the merger of defense giants EADS and BAE Systems. The merger was a key part of EADS CEO Thomas Enders' strategy to rebalance the company's portfolio. In a SPIEGEL interview, Enders explains how the pan-European firm is picking up the pieces.
Vexed in Vienna New Allegations Haunt EADS Fighter Jet Deal In the corruption scandal surrounding the sale of Eurofighter jets to Austria, more and more information suggests that European defense giant EADS may have played a role in bribery aimed at securing the lucrative contract. The affair has the potential to damage the company's image and its bottom line. Von Jörg Schmitt und Gerald Traufetter
Corruption Scandal Investigation into Dubious EADS Austria Deal Intensifies A scandal over dubious transfers of millions of euros is creating turbulence for European defense giant EADS. If suspicions by investigators that the company committed corruption in a deal to sell Eurofighters to Austria are proven, it could mean the end of the sale -- and billions in losses. Von SPIEGEL Staff
The World from Berlin EADS-BAE Failure a Wasted Chance for Europe The failure of the massive merger of EADS and BAE shows more clearly than ever the degree to which politicians influence the European defense industry. The Continent missed a prime opportunity to fix the problem, argue German commentators.
Mega-Deal Called Off EADS Blames Germany for Failed Merger with BAE The merger between EADS and BAE would have created one of the world's largest aerospace and defense companies. But on Wednesday, it was called off. Germany, says EADS, bears the lion's share of the blame for the collapse of the mega-deal.
Defense Mega-Merger EADS-BAE Deal Collapses amid High-Level Bickering The planned mega-merger between EADS and BAE appears to have failed, but the blame game between Britain, Germany and France has only just begun. Relations between Berlin and EADS may have taken the biggest hit -- and the aerospace giant's employees might ultimately pay the highest price. Von Dinah Deckstein und Gerald Traufetter
No Big Deal EADS-BAE Merger Talks on Verge of Collapse The planned merger of EADS and BAE has essentially failed, sources tell SPIEGEL ONLINE, after a decisive round of negotiations among the three countries involved ended without an agreement. A dispute between France and the United Kingdom reportedly proved too great to overcome. EADS denies the reports are true. Von Gerald Traufetter
Tough Sell EADS Pitches Merits of BAE Merger to Berlin Franco-German company EADS is facing significant resistance in Berlin to its plan to merge with British defense giant BAE Systems. German politicians fear a loss of jobs and power in the new company, which if created would become the global market leader in defense. Von Nicolai Kwasniewski
Mega Defense Merger EADS-BAE Plans Put Merkel Under Pressure The planned merger of British defense contractor BAE Systems with aircraft maker EADS is putting Germany's chancellor under pressure. If Merkel consents to the deal, she will jeopardize jobs in the high-tech industry. But if she refuses, she will endanger the future of the aerospace giant. By SPIEGEL Staff
Battling Boeing Airbus Plans to Open First Factory in America European aviation giant Airbus appears set to announce plans to open a plant in Alabama. The move would enable the company to reduce costs and also compete more directly with Boeing in its home market. The aerospace firm already has top-notch American customers including Delta and US Airways.
Weight Loss for Superjumbos The A380 and the Aviation Engineering Dilemma To reduce fuel consumption, Airbus used extremely lightweight materials in its flagship A380. Now cracks have appeared in the wings, and repairs will cost the company hundreds of millions of euros. The problem highlights the engineering dilemma caused by the industry drive for fuel efficiency. Von Dinah Deckstein und Gerald Traufetter
Expensive Checks Hairline Cracks Could Cost EADS 100 Million Euros Last week, European aviation safety authorities ordered all Airbus A380s to be checked after hairline cracks were found in wing brackets. Now SPIEGEL has learned that the inspections and repairs could cost Airbus parent EADS up to 100 million euros -- over 1 million euros per plane.
Concerned over Cracks European Safety Authority Orders Checks on All A380s Australian airline Qantas has temporarily suspended flights with one of its A380 super jumbo jet aircraft after hairline cracks were found. In the light of the discovery, Europe's aviation safety authority has ordered inspections on all the Airbus double-decker planes in service.
EADS Loses Massive Contract India Opts For French Fighter Jets French defense manufacturer Dassault has beaten EADS for the right to negotiate exclusively with the Indian government on the sale of 126 fighter jets. Still, the deal could ultimately collapse -- in the past, all other talks to sell Dassault's Rafale aircraft abroad have failed. Von Hasnain Kazim
Preserving Strategic Interests German Government To Purchase EADS Shares In a deal valued at more than a billion euros, the German government has said it will purchase 7.5 percent of shares in Airbus parent company EADS. The move is aimed at preserving the balance between German and French ownership in the aerospace giant and ensures that Germany's holdings in the company will not be sold to foreign investors.
Unease over EADS Daimler and Berlin Fight over Share Sale to Qatar Executives at Daimler are opposed to a sale of the company's holdings in aerospace giant EADS to the the emirate of Qatar, and they are locked in a dispute with the government in Berlin. They fear the sale would lead to French dominance in future decision-making.