BAE, EADS talks may lead to mergers

The proposed deal, the biggest since a 2000 pan-European merger created EADS under joint French and German control, could kick-start a wave of consolidation in the sector, as companies vie for shrinking defense budgets.

Linda Hudson, chief executive of the U.S. arm of BAE Systems, said the deal made sense given the downturn in U.S. and European defense spending, but would also insulate the combined company against the inevitable cycles of the aerospace sector.

“It's a win-win proposition for both companies in this environment,” Hudson told Reuters after a speech at Johns Hopkins University in Washington on Wednesday evening.

Boeing CEO Jim McNerney said the Chicago-based aerospace leader was not threatened by such a merger, which he predicted would mark the start of global consolidation in the industry.

“I don't see this as something that is going to threaten us fundamentally,” McNerney told Reuters after a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.

Executives at Lockheed Martin Corp declined comment.

An EADS-BAE merger would create an entity with more balanced commercial and military operations, a model that Boeing has followed for some time, McNerney added.

While the complex deal faces obstacles, U.S. government officials were not likely to block it, according to multiple sources close to the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly.

These sources said the companies have already held direct discussions with U.S. officials, though no formal proposal has been put forward yet.

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