DASA

DASA (officially Deutsche AeroSpace AG, later Daimler-Benz AeroSpace AG, then DaimlerChrysler AeroSpace AG) was a German aerospace manufacturer. Founded in May 1989 as the aerospace subsidiary of Daimler-Benz (later DaimlerChrysler, and now the Mercedes-Benz Group), the company combined Daimler-Benz's aerospace division and its other aviation subsidiaries—including MTU München and Dornier Flugzeugwerke, which had previously operated independently—with rival manufacturer Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), acquired by Daimler that year. It also incorporated the defense electronics, naval systems and radar divisions of AEG. DASA’s existence was relatively brief, as the post–Cold War "peace dividend" of the 1990s encouraged consolidation across the aerospace industry. In July 2000, DASA merged with France's Aérospatiale-Matra and Spain's CASA to form EADS, which later rebranded as Airbus. After the formation of EADS, Daimler retained ownership of MTU, which was subsequently spun off in 2003 as MTU Aero Engines, an independent company that continues to operate.