The West German Aerospace Industry and its Contribution to Western Security

By Keith Hayward
18 Jun 2004

This Whitehall Paper is the first study in English of the West German aerospace industry from its origins in the 1950s to the takeover of MBB by Daimler Benz in 1989. It examines the structure of the West German aerospace industry and analyses its often controversial relationship with the Federal and State Governments. The study demonstrates the importance of international collaboration in the development and operation of the West German aerospace industry and shows the pivotal role played by the Federal Republic in major European aerospace programmes. In a period of rapid change affecting the Federal Republic, its allies and neighbours, the study suggests that the depth of industrial and technological ties exemplified by the aerospace sector will act as a major conditioning factor in the future of German defence and industrial policies.

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