Guillaume Faury, chief executive of Airbus, has written to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham warning that awarding a £2.4bn military satellite contract to US firm Lockheed Martin could diminish Britain's role in the European space industry for decades, according to The Guardian.
The letter represents an intensified lobbying push by Airbus ahead of a decision on who will manufacture the Skynet satellite system. Faury argues that the choice of provider will have long-term consequences for UK strength in military satellites across Europe.
The contract decision sits with Burnham, indicating the matter remains unresolved. Airbus and Lockheed Martin are competing for the work. No timeline for the decision or the specific terms each bidder has proposed are detailed in the available information.
The intervention by Airbus's French-headquartered chief executive highlights the commercial stakes involved in UK defence procurement and the company's assessment that losing this contract would weaken Britain's standing in European space capability, a sector where defence and civilian applications often overlap.