What does MBB mean in MILITARY

MBB was an aerospace firm based in Germany from 1969 to 1989. It was first established as a merger of two major German companies, Messerschmitt AG and Bölkow GmbH. MBB created some of the most successful aircraft during its time, such as the Tornado and F/A-18 Hornet.

During its existence MBB worked on a range of aviation and defence technologies, including helicopters, military transport aircrafts, missiles, rockets and spacecraft. It also had a separate division for researching composite materials for civil aviation applications.

One of the innovations brought by MBB in terms of technology was using computerized flight control systems in their aircrafts to guarantee increased stability and maneuverability under any condition. They were amongst the first to make use of fly-by-wire technology at an industrial scale.

Aircrafts produced by MBB included trainer aircraft such as the Alpha Jet, combat planes like Tornado and F/A - 18 Hornet fighter jets, helicopters like Bo 105 light utility helicopters, patrol planes such as the P1127 Kestrel VTOL jet, transporters like Transall C 160 N and smaller commuter airplanes.

Several of MBBs creations had commercial success both nationally and internationally due to their cutting edge technology compared to competitors’ models or lack thereof at their inception. For instance, their helicopter models saw widespread adoption across multiple nations for civilian operations ranging from passenger transport to law enforcement missions.

The company was formed out of a joint venture by two existing firms; Messerschmidt AG & Bölkow GmbH in 1969 after West Germany’s rearmament due to NATO membership obligations. Each founding company had significant experience in engineering aviation components prior to their merger which undoubtedly gave them a platform for product development success.