Airbus fined $127 million over Taiwan missile dispute
Airbus announced on 13 January that it had been fined $127 million for a dispute dating from 1992 over missile sales to Taiwan by the Matra group.
Airbus, which agreed to sell China 184 A320 planes by 2020, stated that it had been ordered to pay the fine ‘for a complaint of breach of contract concerning the sale of missiles.’
Matra Defence, which joined the Airbus group in 1998, said it was ‘studying the fine and evaluating next steps’.
In a separate case, the company said it was in discussions with prosecutors in Munich that could close a German investigation into alleged corruption related to the sale of Eurofighter jets to Austria.
In February 2017, Austria sued Airbus over a 2003 Eurofighter deal that was long alleged to have been highly dubious, seeking up to $1.2 billion in damages.
Hans Peter Doskozil, Defence Minister of Austria, said the lawsuit accused Airbus and the Eurofighter consortium of deliberately hoodwinking Vienna over the $2.43 billion order.
At the time Tom Enders,chief of Airbus, was head of the defence division of European Aeronautic Defence Space Company, which became the Airbus Group in 2014.
Airbus commented ‘it will reveal the results when the investigation is closed.’
More from Defence Notes
-
![Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain]()
Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.
-
![How deepening AI usage can boost efficiency and maximise effects for forces]()
How deepening AI usage can boost efficiency and maximise effects for forces
Saab has outlined how it is using artificial intelligence to make training more like electronic gaming, while the UK’s Power Size Technologies is applying the same technology to better evaluate and design vehicle capability, moving AI-enabled innovation further upstream from the frontline.
-
![From systems integrator to multi-domain solutions provider (video)]()
From systems integrator to multi-domain solutions provider (video)
Philipp von Brandenstein, Head of Corporate Communications at Rheinmetall, explains how Eurosatory 2026 marked a new stage in the company's evolution.
-
![US Pentagon pushes for major reform of defence acquisition system]()
US Pentagon pushes for major reform of defence acquisition system
The US Department of Defense has requested new contracting authorities from Congress, using the Army's MV-75 Cheyenne programme to demonstrate how competition, digital engineering and closer industry collaboration could accelerate acquisitions.
-
![US speeds up B61-13 nuclear bomb production as programme moves further ahead of schedule]()
US speeds up B61-13 nuclear bomb production as programme moves further ahead of schedule
The US government plans to accelerate production even further after achieving key B61-13 milestones months ahead of schedule, as the programme advances amid growing US-China strategic competition.
