General Atomics Europe this week completed its acquisition of Ruag Aerospace Services, Ruag International’s business jet and military helicopter MRO business in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. The deal, announced in October, includes the production of the Dornier 228 utility twin turboprop and 420 employees but not the Ruag Aerostructures operation at Oberpfaffenhofen that employs 800 workers.

"With this acquisition, General Atomics Europe is sustainably strengthening its market positioning in the aviation business,” said General Atomics Europe managing director Harald Robl. “We have developed a strategic concept for the future that will open up new growth and value creation prospects for the Oberpfaffenhofen site, far beyond the existing business areas, despite the current economic crisis.”

The sale by Zurich-based Ruag International comes as part of a plan approved in March 2019 to realign its business. The first divestiture under that “unbundling” plan was the 2019 sale of Ruag’s business aircraft maintenance operations in Geneva and Lugano to Dassault Aviation.