Italy: Finmeccanica holds a one-quarter share in MBDA, a joint venture that is building nuclear missiles for the French air force. The missiles are capable of being launched from the Mirage 2000N fighter plane and the new Rafale fighter plane.
Company Profile
Finmeccanica, based in Italy, mainly engages in the development and manufacture of helicopters, defence and security electronics, and aeronautics. In the financial year ended 31 December 2010, Finmeccanica generated revenues of €18.7 billion (US$24.8 billion), resulting in an operating profit of €866 million (US$1.2 billion) and a net profit of €577 million (US$766 million).
Nuclear Weapons
Finmeccanica holds a 25 per cent share in MBDA, a joint venture with EADS and BAE Systems. MBDA is a world leader in missiles and missile systems, producing over 3,000 missiles in 2010. MBDA builds the ASMPA nuclear missiles for the French air force, which can be launched from the Mirage 2000N fighter plane and the new Rafale fighter plane. The manufacturing of the missiles does not include the manufacturing of the nuclear warhead itself, which is done by the government agency Commissariat á l’energie atomique. The ASMPA was taken into service in November 2010.