Matra BAe Dynamics
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defence, aerospace |
| Predecessor | Matra Hautes Technologies missile division, BAe Dynamics missile operations |
| Founded | August 1996 |
| Fate | Merged into MBDA in December 2001 |
| Headquarters | Europe |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Parent | Matra Hautes Technologies (50%), British Aerospace (50%) |
Matra BAe Dynamics was established in August 1996 as a 50/50 joint venture between the missile division of France's Matra Hautes Technologies—the aerospace, defence, and telecommunications branch of the Matra group—and the missile operations of the UK's BAe Dynamics, a sector within British Aerospace. Over its five-year existence, it stood as Europe's leading guided weapons firm and ranked third globally.
Prior to this, British Aerospace had sought to combine its missile division with France's Thomson-CSF (currently Thales Group) through a proposed entity named Eurodynamics in 1989; however, this initiative was abandoned following antitrust scrutiny. After its establishment, Matra BAe Dynamics acquired a 30% ownership in LFK in 1997.
In 1999, following the merger of Aérospatiale and Matra Hautes Technologies, the latter's remaining missile business merged with Aérospatiale's missile systems division to create Aérospatiale Matra Missiles. This newly formed company, part of Aérospatiale-Matra, assumed Matra's 50% stake in Matra BAe Dynamics.
Ultimately, in December 2001, Matra BAe Dynamics combined with Aérospatiale Matra Missiles and the missile segments of Alenia Marconi Systems to establish MBDA.