NSA Spying on EU: Report: Evidence of 2011 US cyberattack on EU defense giant EADS in Germany

"Bild am Sonntag" said on today Sunday July 12 that it inspected a "confidential letter" provided by Germany's foreign intelligence services - the BND - to the domestic intelligence agency - the Verfassungsschutz - outlining a "suspected" attack on European arms manufacturer European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) from American soil.

"From a foreign intelligence service, the BND received information about a suspected data tap at EADS Germany," the letter is reported to have said.

The German news outlet claimed that it was the first shred of evidence of a 2011 cyberattack on the French-German manufacturer, headquartered in Munich, since the onset of collaboration between the US National Security Agency (NSA) and the BND.

"Bild am Sonntag" reported that on November 2, 2011, hackers planted a spy program on the computers of EADS, during which 5,116 "connections" were said to have been found between the company's computers and the US-based "aggressors."

Germany's Protection of the Constitution committee informed EADS - now known as the Airbus Group - that their networks may have been compromised by the apparent attack, which had been initially traced to a server in Los Angeles.

Read more: Report: Evidence of 2011 US cyberattack on defense giant EADS in Germany | News | DW.COM | 12.07.2015

Eurofighter to power Korean industries

A number of aircraft have arrived in Korea for the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) with hopes of patrolling over the Korean Peninsula. Among them, the Eurofighter Typhoon, a multi-role fighter jet from the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), is making headlines at the biannual fair, being fully armed with cutting-edge weapons including air-to-ground Taurus, air-to-air Meteor and anti-tank Brimstone missiles.

Ahead of an expected re-tender of the country’s F-X III project to acquire 60 highly-advanced combat planes, the four-nation consortium EADS and its aircraft are set to offer a strategic partnership to address Korean needs in not only the defense sector but also industry.

In September, the government rejected Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle as the winner of the F-X III and is seeking various ways to complete the long-delayed fighter requirement program. In the competition, the Eurofighter Tranche 3 Typhoon is pitted against Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II and the Boeing product.

EADS, comprised of Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom (U.K.), is stressing that its fighter jet is the only one in operation among the three bidders, having more than 200,000 flying hours, and being combat-proven in Syria.

Currently, Eurofighter has 719 aircraft on contract and since entry-into-service in 2004, more than 380 aircraft have been delivered to six countries ― the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Saudi Arabia ― and Oman will become the seventh customer to fly the Eurofighter from 2017.

The Tranche 3 that was offered to the Korean Air Force is seen as one of the most advanced new generation swing-role and multi-role combat aircrafts as it is equipped with the most-advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, Helmet Mounted Symbology System (HMSS) and Meteor and Taurus missiles.

Read more: Eurofighter to power Korean industries

European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company:(EADS) designs new share structure to 'simplify' group

The European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), which owns the plane maker Airbus, unveiled Wednesday a deal to restructure shareholdings that is meant to reduce the role of France and Germany but preserve their strategic interests.

The agreement will leave France and Germany each with 12-percent holdings and Spain with about 4.0 percent, a statement said, as the German automaker Daimler and French conglomerate Lagardere curtailed their own key stakes.

The deal is designed to allow EADS to function as an aerospace giant independent of intrusive government influence, and could pave the way for future growth.

"This agreement aims at normalising and simplifying the governance of EADS while securing a shareholding structure that allows France, Germany and Spain to protect their legitimate strategic interests," an EADS statement said.

Chief executive Tom Enders told a telephone news conference that the deal represents "the most important change since the creation of EADS 12 years ago."

Read more: EADS designs new share structure to 'simplify' group < French news | Expatica France

BAE and EADS End Merger Talks Following Government Intervention

It was reported from Germany that  German Chancellor Angela Merkel called French President François Hollande to end the deal. Ms. Merkel told Mr. Hollande that Germany believed the deal's negatives outweighed its benefits for her country, and that she couldn't support it.

While visionary, the proposal was based on sound industrial logic that would have delivered real synergies and cost savings, and increased competitiveness for all involved. Opposition from some investors notwithstanding, a merger offered the best chance to create a truly integrated European aerospace company combining the world’s leading commercial aircraft company – the EADS subsidiary Airbus – with the continent’s biggest defense group, BAE. 

EU-Digest

European Aerospace: EADS, BAE merger still on launch pad, countdown runs on

A giant merger between European aerospace groups EADS and BAE Systems is still on the launch pad with talks heading for extra time on Wednesday after France eased its demands, various sources suggested.

Progress justifies a request to the British financial market regulator for a delay to the deadline, a source close to the matter said.

The deadline falls at the end of the working day on Wednesday in London.

But the final decision is likely to depend on a decision from Germany, and the position of the German government remains unclear, the source added on Tuesday.

A breakthrough on state interference by France seems to have occurred in hectic talks late into the day on Tuesday to enable the firms to say by a deadline of 1600 GMT if they are still holding hands, or if the deal is off. 

Read more: EADS, BAE merger still on launch pad, countdown runs on - The Economic Times

Areospace Industry: BAE and EADS in merger talks to create aerospace giant

Britain's BAE Systems and Airbus-owner EADS are in advanced merger talks to create a combined group worth euro 33.23 billion (US 48 billion), overtaking Boeing as the world's biggest aerospace and defense company in terms of sales.

Under the detailed plans announced by the two firms on Wednesday BAE shareholders would own 40 percent of the combined group and EADS shareholders the remaining 60 pct with the firm structured as a dual-listed company.

Read more: BAE and EADS in merger talks to create aerospace giant | Reuters

Airbus is king of the skies - by Mark Leftly

For the ninth successive year, Europe has emerged victorious in what has become one of the great transatlantic rivalries. Airbus, owned by the pan-European manufacturer EADS, had a record year for the industry in 2011, with 1,419 firm orders – worth around $140bn (£91bn) – for its aircraft, the best part of double that of Boeing.

The US group now has the lowest market share in the four-decade history of its great, often spiteful, competition with Airbus. Boeing will argue its jets have a higher average price tag, but even then EADS has a 54 per cent market share by value.

Announcing the order numbers in Hamburg yesterday, EADS chief executive Louis Gallois said: "We are more than a symbol of European integration. We are the part of Europe that works."

For more: Airbus is king of the skies - Business Analysis & Features - Business - The Independent

Times OnLine: EADS aims at slice of India's euro58bn arms budget - by Rhys Blakely

For the complete report from the Times Online click on this link

EADS aims at slice of India's euro58bn arms budget - by Rhys Blakely

EADS, the European defence group, has become the latest Western arms supplier to set up shop in India as the country prepares to spend billions of pounds upgrading its dilapidated Soviet-era weaponry. Under a joint venture with Larsen & Toubro, India's largest engineering group, EADS will design and build systems ranging from weapons that scramble the electronics of enemy aircraft to portable bridges in a new facility near the western city of Pune. The project is the latest to target India's expanding arms spending. Its provisional weapons budget was increased by a third this year to euro 8b.

The jewel in the crown is a euro 8bn tender to supply 126 fighter jets, which is being fought over by five rivals including Boeing, MiG, of Russia, and the Eurofighter consortium, which includes EADS.

Tech Digest: European manned spaceship shown off in Berlin

Astrium - European Manned Space module

For the complete report from the Tech Digest click on this link

European manned spaceship shown off in Berlin

It's only a prototype, but the new EADS Astrium design here is based on the existing unmanned Jules Verne pod already flying about up there, so it could easily take scientists and the odd paying billionaire up into the ionosphere with a bit of tweaking.Within 10 years, according to EADS, there could be a manned European space programme should the various countries involved not mind coughing up the enormous amount of money - about one billion euros - required. With the ancient American space shuttles due to be taken out of service in 2010, Europe could well find itself at the forefront of manned space travel.