Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 16, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Thales is negotiating a satellite alliance with Airbus and Leonardo, aiming to compete with Starlink. No agreement has been signed yet.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) -France's Thales said on Thursday that the work to form a European satellite alliance with Aircraft maker Airbus and Italy's Leonardo was ongoing, responding to a media report that an agreement in principle had been found.
German newspaper Boersen-Zeitung reported on Thursday that the three aerospace groups had come to an understanding but added that the signing of an outline deal would take place over the next few days, citing unspecified sources familiar with the matter.
The project, dubbed "Bromo", is designed to help the prospective partners to compete more effectively with Elon Musk's Starlink.
Airbus was not immediately available for comment. Leonardo declined to comment.
Reuters reported last month that the three groups had redoubled efforts to combine their satellite businesses into a 10 billion-euro ($11.7 billion), French-headquartered joint venture and are working towards hammering out an initial agreement in coming weeks.
Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn has since said the project was on track but several issues had yet to be clarified.
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger, Tim Hepher and Giulia Segreti. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Airbus is a European multinational aerospace corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide.
Leonardo is an Italian multinational company specializing in aerospace, defense, and security, known for its advanced technology and innovation in these sectors.
The Bromo project aims to create a joint venture among Thales, Airbus, and Leonardo to enhance their satellite capabilities and compete with existing services like Starlink.
A joint venture is a business arrangement where two or more parties agree to pool their resources for a specific project or business activity, sharing profits and risks.
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