According to the two companies on June 4, Grob Aircraft, the manufacturer of military trainer G120TP, will be acquired by German Helsing, a German Helsing company, which is currently the highest-valuation defense startup in Europe.
Grobe Aircraft mit Hauptsitz in Tucsonhausen, Bayern und Besitz von Produktionsanlagen, wird von seinem derzeitigen Eigentümer H3 Aerospace erworben. Die Bedingungen der Transaktion werden nicht offengelegt, erfordern jedoch eine behördliche Genehmigung.
Die beiden Unternehmen kündigten die Vereinbarung an, dass die Fusion ein enormes Potenzial für Innovation und Wachstum schaffen würde. They stated: The partners of both parties hope to jointly develop hardware, software and artificial intelligence solutions for future air combat.
Dr. Gundbert Scherf, co-CEO of Helsin, said: „Our two companies have worked together successfully in the past and value and respect each other very much. And our abilities are perfectly complementary and our growth vision is consistent.
In a previous collaboration, Grobe Aircraft Corporation supported the development of Helsin’s Cirra electronic warfare software, which uses artificial intelligence to evaluate threat scenarios in real time.
Scherf added: While we are expanding our expertise together, we are also promoting Bavaria to become the center of advanced technology and defense innovation in Europe.
Andre Hiebeler, geschäftsführender Partner der Grobe Aircraft Corporation, sagte: Helsings Vision und technisches Fachwissen passen perfekt zu uns. Gemeinsam fördern wir einzigartige Partnerschaften, die die Innovation der Industrie neu definieren. Die beiden Unternehmen erklärten gemeinsam: Helsings geplante Investition in Tucenhausen wird neue Arbeitsplätze schaffen.
Grobe Aircraft verfügt über eine gut geplante Pipeline für Flugzeuglieferungs- und Schulungsprogramme. Its most recent order was signed last November as a contract of 23 G120TP aircraft to support a future air crew training program led by CAE/KF aerospace joint venture SkyAlyne in Canada.
At the time of the contract, the factory acceptance of Canada’s first turboprop-powered G120TP aircraft (which was recently named CT-102B Astra II by Ottawa) is expected to be held in August 2025.
Data from aviation analysis company Cirium also shows that Grobe Aircraft has two and one aircraft of this type that has not been delivered to existing users Kenya and Sweden respectively.
Other current military customers of the aircraft manufacturer include Argentina, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Jordan, Mexico, Myanmar, the United Kingdom and the United States. Cirium -Aufzeichnungen zeigen, dass sich fast 200 Basistausbilder mit dieser zusammengesetzten Karosserie in Betrieb befinden. Das Unternehmen unterstützt auch weiterhin die Flotte des frühen Modells G120A.
Pictures from the company’s press release show that the acquisition may also include the TPX Cobra platform officially announced by Grob Aircraft France in June 2024.