Airbus Defence and Space has acquired Infodas, a German cybersecurity company that provides IT solutions for defence and critical infrastructure elements of the public sector, with the deal expected to be finalised before the end of 2024.
Headquartered in Cologne, Infodas has around 250 employees and generates annual revenues of approximately €50m ($54m), and has been working in the defence sector for almost 50 years.
The acquisition, announced on 25 March 2024, follows only 24 days after the 1 March announcement from Infodas that it is in receipt of a contract from the German military forces to secure their airspace surveillance systems. As a subcontractor for Hensoldt, Infodas is supplying the SDoT Security Gateway Express (SGWX).
On 19 March, Airbus issued a press release stating that ‘after careful consideration’ Airbus was no longer considering acquisition of cybersecurity group Atos Big Data and Security.
In 2023, Infodas secured major contracts that include the provision of cybersecurity solutions and SGWX to modernise Nato’s Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS), a major component of Nato air defence, under contract from Boeing.
As part of a long-term programme to run for multiple years, Infodas also entered into a contract with Naval Group to supply an unnamed European nations with cybersecurity solutions for a naval programme.
Airbus considers cybersecurity to be a pivotal component of Airbus’ development, as increasing digitalisation and connectivity have drawn an exponentially increasing number of cyber threats.
Airbus has been actively supplying cybersecurity support to major programmes, including the Air Combat Cloud used in Europe’s Future Air Combat System (FCAS), a multinational effort to develop next generation manned jets flying alongside unmanned remotely piloted carriers of various sizes.
Cyber processes, alongside big data processing and artificial intelligence stand at the core of deep tech initiatives to allow the distribution of Command and Control roles between FCAS aircraft.
