Ethnocentric vs. Regiocentric Consolidation in the Aerospace and

“But Gaullist imperatives caused France to collaborate mainly on systems of secondary
military importance, such as helicopters, trainers, and transport aircraft, while preserving
national autonomy in “strategic” areas such as nuclear weapons, nuclear-capable delivery
systems, and high-performance combat aircraft.” 123
In sum, the EADS merger was significant for the French in several respects. First, it weakened the
government’s control over the A&D industry; second, the EADS merger was multilateral in nature;
and third, the EADS merger also covered strategic areas such as high-performance combat
124 125 126
aircraft.
123 Ibid., pp. 27-28
124 The EADS merger excluded France’s military nuclear activities.
125 “The DGA has concluded that France no longer has the financial means to maintain an independent capability across
the full spectrum of weapon systems and must increasingly rationalise defence production on a European scale, while
concentrating on its competitive strengths.” Ibid., p. 20
126 “DGA officials have promoted international collaborative programs as a strategy for countering the monopolistic
practices of national-champion firms.” Ibid., p. 15
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