EADS resulted from a merger, in July 2000, between the French Aerospatiale-Matra, the German DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) and the Spanish CASA companies. In just 10 years, it has become a European and indeed global leader in the aeronautics, space, defence and associated services sector.

Since 2000, EADS has enjoyed spectacular growth: in 10 years, revenues have risen by 75% and, in 2009, stood at 42.8 billion euros. Total R&D investments have exceeded 22 billion euros and EADS has created more than 15,000 high-tech jobs in Europe.

All of the activities within the Group have made a contribution to this growth. Airbus is now the world’s leading commercial aircraft manufacturer, and Eurocopter has become the global leader in helicopters for the civil and parapublic markets, with its products accounting for 30% of the world’s entire helicopter fleet. EADS Astrium built its European leadership around civil and military space systems and services, while EADS Defence & Security has become an essential supplier of systems solutions to armed forces and civil defence organisations around the world.

EADS also means 10 years of impressive projects that have become reality. Today, we have the unparalleled success of the A320 family, and additionally there are also the A380, the Eurofighter, ultra-modern border surveillance systems, the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for the International Space Station, the EC135 and the EC175. In the next generation, there will be the A400M, the A350 XWB, the Talarion UAV and, even further into the future, the Advanced Re-entry Vehicle (ARV), the Ariane launcher family evolutions, and the Bluecopter project.

EADS has solid foundations on which to build its future growth and development, but to do so, the Group is focusing on future generations by responding to their fascination for aerospace and by doing everything it can to ensure that technical and scientific careers are once again made attractive.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary starting in the month of June, EADS will be inviting 10,000 school students to its various sites across Europe: Astrium at Les Mureaux, Eurocopter at Marignane, not forgetting Airbus Military in Seville, Airbus in Toulouse and Hamburg, EADS Defence & Security at Elancourt and Newport, and further sites. On 11 June, at the Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget, the “Planète Pilote” project will also be inaugurating a space entirely devoted to children from 6 to 12 years old.

This 10th anniversary of EADS is also that of the 119,000 employees working on more than one hundred sites around the world, who have all contributed to the success of these past ten years and whose work, day after day, contribute to building EADS. After the summer holidays, in September, a range of celebrations is being planned for all employees and their families on their respective sites.

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2009, the Group – comprising Airbus, Eurocopter, EADS Astrium and EADS Defence & Security – generated revenues of € 42.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 119,000.