Safran - Safran Aerospace

Safran S.A. is a French multinational aircraft engine, rocket engine, aerospace-component, defense, and security company. It was formed by a merger between the aircraft and rocket engine manufacturer and aerospace component manufacturer group SNECMA and the security company SAGEM in 2005. Its headquarters are located in Paris. The company is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index.

Name

The name Safran, literally meaning "rudder blade", was chosen from 4,250 suggestions. As a holding company for many subsidiaries the name was deemed suitable for the suggestion of direction, movement, and strategy. Safran also translates as saffron, which the company highlights as one of the catalysts for early international trade.

History

Origins

In 1905 Louis Seguin created the company Gnome. Production of the first rotary engine for airplanes, the Gnome Omega, started in 1909. This company merged with the Le Rhône, a company created in 1912 by Louis Verdet, to form the Gnome et Rhône engine company. Gnome & Rhône was nationalized in 1945, creating Snecma. In 2000, this company gave its name to the “Snecma Group”, and carried out a number of acquisitions to form a larger group with an array of complementary businesses.

Sagem (Société d’Applications Générales de l’Electricité et de la Mécanique) was created in 1924 by Marcel Môme. In 1939, Sagem entered the telephone and transmissions market by taking control of Société anonyme des télécommunications (SAT). It acquired Société de Fabrication d’Instruments de Mesure (Sfim), a measurement instrument specialist, in 1999. However, by 2008 Sagem Mobile and Sagem Communications had been sold. Sagem Mobile became Sagem Wireless in January 2009.

Safran Group

The Safran Group was created on May 11, 2005, with the merger of Snecma and Sagem SA.

In June 2014, Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel announced that European efforts to remain competitive in response to SpaceX's recent success have begun in earnest. This included the creation of a new joint venture company from Arianespace's two largest shareholders: the launch-vehicle producer Airbus Group and engine-producer Safran.

By May 2015, Safran had created a launcher division as well called Airbus Safran Launchers. This entity is currently developing the Ariane 6 launch vehicle for initial flights in the 2020s.

Group organization

The Safran group is divided into three main branches:

Aerospace propulsion

The aerospace propulsion branch groups all operations concerning the propulsion of aeroplanes, helicopters, missiles, and launchers, for the civil aviation, military aviation, and space markets: design, production, marketing, testing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).

• Snecma (formerly Snecma Moteurs)
  • Commercial & military engines, liquid propulsion for space launchers
• Turbomeca
  • Turboshaft engines for helicopters
  • Jet engines for training and support aircraft
  • Turbines for missiles and drones (Microturbo subsidiary)
  • APU (Microturbo subsidiary)
• Herakles (formerly Snecma Propulsion Solide)
  • Solid rocket motors for launchers, strategic and tactical missiles
  • Thermostructural composite materials
• Techspace Aero
  • Components for aircraft and rocket engines

Other subsidiaries

• Cenco
• Smartec
• SMA Engines
• Snecma Services Brussels
• Snecma Suzhou
• Snecma Xinyi Airfoil Castings

Aircraft equipment

The aircraft equipment branch groups all design, production, sales, and support operations for systems and equipment used by civil and military airplanes and helicopters.

• Messier-Bugatti-Dowty
  • Landing gear design, manufacture, and support
  • Wheels and carbon brakes for mainline commercial jets
  • Braking control and hydraulic systems
• Aircelle
  • Commercial airplane engine nacelles and thrust reversers
• Labinal Power Systems
  • Aircraft wiring systems
• Hispano-Suiza
  • Mechanical, hydraulic, electronic and electrical equipment
• Safran Engineering Services
  • Engineering and consulting company
• Technofan
  • Fan designer and manufacturer

Other subsidiaries

Defense and security

The defense security branch operates in the civil, military, and space markets, and covers the following areas: inertial guidance and navigation equipment (SIGMA INS based on ring laser gyro sensors), optronics systems and equipment, avionics systems, UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) systems, air-land systems and equipment, biometric identification systems, secure transaction terminals, and smart cards. On July 1, 2009, the European Union approved Safran's acquisition of 81 percent of the GE Security division which produces airport security systems and biometric identification systems.

Safran's biometrics products and technologies make up the "biometric data acquisition terminals, enrollment services, and processing software" used in Aadhaar, India's national identification number system and the largest biometric database in the world.

• Sagem
  • Technologies and services in optronics, avionics, electronics and safety-critical software
• Morpho
  • Multibiometric technologies, smart cards, secure transactions, identity management solutions, explosives detection systems

Other subsidiaries

Corporate affairs

Financial information

Shareholder profile

As of 31 December 2014

• Public: 63.5%%
• French Republic: 22%
• Employees: 14.4%
• Treasury shares: 0.1%

The biggest change in Safran's shareholder profile is the increase in publicly held shares (from 36.9% in 2008 to 54.1% in 2012).