New Airbus strategy; UH-72s stay

WASHINGTON – Airbus has been trying to break into the American military aviation market for decades – losing to Boeing after a bitter battle over the KC-X tanker contract, and later earning a major award for the AHI Columbus, Miss.-built UH-72A Lakota helicopters for the Army. Now, Airbus is shifting to a new strategy that prioritizes selling off-the-shelf sensors, data, space and intelligence capabilities that have been customized for U.S. government buyers. On July 15, a new division - Airbus U.S. Space and Defense - was unveiled by its CEO Chris Emerson, formerly president of Airbus Helicopters. He indicated the company want to move its focus in the U.S. away from major fixed-wing platforms. His direction is to expand the company’s presence in the growing space and intelligence markets, particularly with low-cost satellites like those made by its joint venture One Web, geospatial intelligence and imaging, and space-based sensors. “It’s not traditional for Airbus,” he said, but it will bring value and a better foundation. But, if there are opportunities to offer Airbus-Europe aircraft to the U.S. military, the strategy will be to partner with American primes, Emerson said. Those UH-72s will continue to be manufactured alongside Airbus’ commercial H125 helicopter in Columbus, Miss., but modifications, support and contracting will be performed by the Airbus U.S. Space and Defense. (Source: Defense News 07/15/20) (Gulf Coast Note: The KC-X contract from Airbus would have built the tankers in Mobile, Ala.) https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2020/07/15/airbus-us-pivots-business-strategy-away-from-selling-big-platforms-to-the-pentagon/