OHB opposes Airbus-Leonardo-Thales space merger in EU antitrust review
OHB · Airbus Defence and Space · Leonardo · Thales Alenia Space
OHB CEO Marco Fuchs said OHB will raise formal concerns during the EU's antitrust review of the Airbus-Leonardo-Thales space merger.
what happened
OHB CEO Marco Fuchs said the German satellite maker will participate in the European Commission's antitrust review of the planned Airbus-Leonardo-Thales space joint venture to argue the deal would harm competition, per Payload. Fuchs told Reuters the merger "impacts our supply chain" and called it "rather a disturbance of the market," and said OHB wants regulators to ensure the merging parties "compete" on "a level playing field." MLex reported Fuchs made the same point on an analysts' call on November 6, 2025, saying OHB would "proactively express its concerns" during the Commission's merger review, which solicits feedback from rivals before clearing large deals.
why it matters
OHB is one of the few remaining independent European satellite manufacturers competing for the same ESA and national-agency contracts as the merging primes, and it already sources critical components from Thales Alenia Space. Its formal participation in the EU's antitrust review signals real regulatory risk to the merger's 2027 closing timeline and gives smaller suppliers an organized voice against further consolidation among Europe's largest space primes.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- OHB, Airbus Defence and Space, Leonardo, Thales Alenia Space
- Category
- regulatory
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2025-11-07
- Published
- 2026-07-12 18:12 UTC