Aviation, Defence and Security Industries Want a Strong Europe

Abstract

Aviation, defence and security industries share technologies that ensure control of the skies and manage the earth-sky interface in optimal conditions of safety and competitiveness: engines, inertial navigation, optronics, materials, electronics, computerised simulation as well as biometrics and tomography, used to detect unlawful substances. Often referred to as dual-use, these technologies are integrated into sub-systems (engine and electronic equipment, for example), fitted on both civilian and military vehicles. All the world powers associate them with their sovereignty and strategic impact. Today, Europe’s attractiveness and influence in the world relies among other assets on aviation, defence and security industries whose economic bases are healthy: an efficient production tool in terms of development and production costs, as well as in terms of product life; worker productivity up by 60% in twenty years, i.e. 3% a year, and a turnover figure (€157 billion in 2010) constantly on the rise.