Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11800 – BAES / LEONARDO / JAIEC / JV)
Date: 2025-04-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: aeronautical industry, aerospace industry, arms industry, economic concentration, merger control








C_202502473EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/2473


29.4.2025






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11800 – BAES / LEONARDO / JAIEC / JV)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2025/2473)


1.   
On 22 April 2025, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


BAE Systems (Holdings) Limited (‘BAES’, the UK),










—


Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd. (‘JAIEC’, Japan),










—


Leonardo S.p.A. (‘Leonardo’, Italy).




BAES, JAIEC, and Leonardo will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of a joint venture for the delivery of the Global Combat Air Programme (‘JV’).
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


BAES is a global defence, aerospace and security company. Its principal markets are the US, the UK, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Australia and it operates in a number of other international markets,










—


JAIEC a public entity representing the interests of the Japanese aerospace industry with the aim to contribute to the expansion of the Japanese aerospace industry and overall national welfare through production enhancement and trade expansion of aerospace-related products,










—


Leonardo is an industrial and technological company in the aerospace, defence and security sectors. Its principal markets are Italy, the US, the UK, Poland and Israel and it operates in a number of other international markets.






3.   

The business activities of the JV will be the delivery of the Global Combat Air Programme, by which the Governments of the UK, Japan and Italy plan to develop a sixth-generation combat aircraft. The JV will be the prime contractor and lead systems integrator for the aircraft.



4.   

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.



5.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed concentration to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.11800 – BAES / LEONARDO / JAIEC / JV
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  
            OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/2473/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)