Safran is a French defense, aerospace equipment, and security company. It is the result of a merger between the propulsion and aerospace equipment group SNECMA and the defense conglomerate SAGEM. Its headquarters are located in Paris.

Name[link]

The name Safran, literally meaning "rudder blade", was chosen from 4,250 suggestions.^{[citation needed]} 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[link]

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

Snecma[link]

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[link]

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 d’Applications Téléphoniques (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.

Group organization[link]

The Safran group is divided into three main branches:^[2]

Aerospace Propulsion[link]

The Aerospace Propulsion branch groups all operations concerning the propulsion of airplanes, helicopters, missiles and launchers, for the civil aviation, military aviation and space markets: design, production, marketing, testing, maintenance, repair & 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

• 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[link]

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

Aircraft Equipment[link]

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
  • 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[link]

Defense – Security[link]

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 (RLG) sensors), optronic 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.^[3]

• Sagem
  • Technologies and services in optronics, avionics, electronics and safety-critical software

• Morpho
  • Multibiometric technologies, smart cards, secure transactions and identity management solutions

Other subsidiaries[link]

Corporate affairs[link]

Financial information[link]

Shareholder profile[link]

At December 31, 2010:

• Public : 47.6%
• State : 30.2%
• Employees : 16%
• Areva : 2%
• Treasury shares: 4.2%

References[link]

External links[link]

Companies portal

• Official website

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