European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS)

European aerospace company that is one of the world's largest. It was formed (2000) from the merger of Aerospatiale Matra of France, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) of Germany, and Construcciones Aeronáuticas S.A. (CASA) of Spain. It holds an 80% share in the European airplane manufacturer Airbus S.A.S. and is responsible for the final assembly of Airbus aircraft. It has a controlling interest in the trinational venture Astrium (created 2000), whose facilities in France, Germany, and Great Britain cover a broad range of the space business from ground systems and launch vehicles to satellites and orbital infrastructure. Its Eurocopter subsidiary produces military and civil helicopters. It also has stakes in Arianespace, which markets the commercial services of Ariane launch vehicles; the Eurofighter consortium to develop a multirole combat aircraft; and the French aerospace firm Dassault.

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