Airbus chief warns UK over satellite contract decision

The chief executive of Airbus, Guillaume Faury, has warned that selecting American company Lockheed Martin for a major satellite contract could cost the United Kingdom a key role in the European space sector. The Guardian and AOL.com both report that Faury wrote to Andy Burnham and suggested the decision could have long term effects. [1][4]

The dispute involves a last minute lobbying effort for a military contract valued at 2.4 billion pounds to build Skynet satellites. The Guardian reports that Faury cautioned against choosing the rival United States manufacturer Lockheed Martin for the project. [1]

Airbus is a major aerospace manufacturer headquartered in France that produces military aircraft, commercial planes, and satellite systems. As FTMQ News reported earlier, satellite development remains a highly competitive global market subject to international political interest. [9][11]

The British government has not announced a final decision on whether Lockheed Martin or Airbus will receive the contract to manufacture the Skynet defense satellite system. [1]