Safran completes Collins Aerospace Flight Controls acquisition to strengthen aircraft and munitions offering

A Safran Warbler loitering munition, displayed at the 2025 Paris Air Show. (Janes/Andrew White)

Safran announced the completion of its acquisition of Collins Aerospace's Actuation and Flight Controls business units, positioning itself for next-generation aeronautical programmes.

Safran agreed to acquire the Collins business units on 21 July 2023 for USD1.8 billion. The units' products include flight controls for fighter jets, main- and tail-rotor actuators for helicopters, and fin and thrust-vector controls for missiles.

With an enterprise value of USD1.8 billion, Safran said it expected the transaction to generate approximately USD50 million in annual pre-tax cost synergies by 2028.

The acquired units employ approximately 4,000 people at eight main sites in Europe (France, Italy, and the United Kingdom) and Asia, with operations also in India, Poland, the United States. With the equipment integrated onboard 180 programmes, the units generated a revenue of approximately USD1.55 billion in 2024, Safran said in a 21 July 2025 release. Their activity will be consolidated from 1 August 2025 within Safran Electronics & Defense.

Safran wants to strengthen its offering of actuation and flight control solutions for military aircraft and missiles.

Warbler

In an example of Safran's expanding ambitions, the company unveiled its first loitering munition at the Paris Air Show 2025 in June.

The 20 kg Warbler is a medium-range system designed to “complement conventional artillery systems by striking relocatable, high-value targets deep inside enemy lines”, according to an official statement provided to Janes by the company.

The collapsible, fixed-wing solution is optimised for anti-armour strike missions with a 3 kg warhead, offering customers the capability to strike targets up to 50 km in range and in swarm formations if necessary.