Auridan-Echidson

Shot through and through in the left engine, and yet still flying. That's AE for you, they don't mess-up when it comes to quality.

— Anonymous, 380

Auridan-Echidson, often abbreviated to AE, is a major aerospace and defense contractor of the Vestan Federation. It is headquartered in Bel Avenir and is the second largest defense contractor in Elysium. AE primarily provides military aircrafts for the Federation, but also offers civilian versions of their crafts for businesses and private owners. This makes them the largest aerospace manufacturer in the world, seconded only by Hyperion Industries in terms of sales volume.

Most of AE's assets are located on Vesta and in orbital stations around the latter. This results in a fairly small footprint for the public eye, but the corporation is nevertheless well known due to its quality products. As a result, many civilian airlines use AE aircrafts, as do the Vestan Defense Forces. Auridan-Echidson aircrafts are renowned for their durability and reliability, though their fuel efficiency and overall cost effectiveness are more often than not above average in the aerospace market.

History

Auridan-Echidson was originally founded as Echidson Inc. in 54 by a group of Navaran scientists and engineers. Their original goal was to provide aircrafts suitable for intercontinental flights to lighten the burden to the Ulysses and her shuttles. The task was difficult, but the first models left the production line in 61. The demand for such aircrafts suddenly blew in the aftermath of the Colonial War, prompting the fusion of Auridan, a previously fierce competitor, with Echidson, giving birth in 87 to the Auridan-Echidson we know today.

The following decades saw a steady growth of the corporation, with more and more assembly plants built to match the demand. This stopped after the Interstellar War with the destruction of several facilities and the subsequent loss of experienced personel. The company slowly recovered by improving its civilian offering, gaining more trust and reputation for the anti-war parties.

By the beginning of the 4^th century, Auridan-Echidson continued to produce aircrafts for the military, albeit at a slower rate than during the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries. This trend changed with the introduction of the Auridan-Echidson AC-56 Tempest Crusader, and AE slowly ramped up its military production in the following decades. By the time the Auridan-Echidson HC-78 Storm Lancer was announced, AE has recovered its full military and civilian production capabilities and now stands as the 2^nd largest defense contractor in the world.

Placeholder by Negev1812

Motto
To the stars without fail
Type
Public
Industry
Aerospace, Defense
Founded
February, 12^th, 54
Headquarters
Bel Avenir, Vesta
Area served
Elysium
Key people
Jonathan Ross (CEO)
Products
Aircrafts, spacecrafts
Revenue
312.760 billion PLV (381)
Operating income
43.280 billion PLV (381)
Number of employees
198 725 (382)

Major Departments

Research & Development

Auridan-Echidson's reputation of quality would never have come to fruition, were it not for its Research and Development department. As one if not the most funded department of AE, these scientists and engineers work around the clock to design and improve aircrafts and spacecrafts better than any competitors.

Manufacturing

The core business of Auridan-Echidson, the Manufacturing department handles the numerous factories spread on and around Vesta. AE operates some 17 manufacturing plants on the surface of Vesta, and some 23 in various orbits around the planet. AE is currently considering the construction of new plants in the Ceryx system.

Sales & Procurement

Auridan-Echidson's Sales & Procurement department handles all the client and supplier relationships. Many actors are involved in the assembly of new aircrafts, and the Sales & Procurement department makes sure the factories are well supplied and the sales orders keep on coming. All of these activities are performed from the headquarters in Bel Avenir.

Products

Aircrafts

Auridan-Echidson's main line of business is the sales of aircrafts of all types to both consumers and businesses, as well as the military. With hundreds of years of experience, AE aircrafts are reliable, efficient and resilient, but remain pricey in comparison with other competitors. This doesn't stop large companies or rich individuals from purchasing these aircrafts, on the contrary, AE aircrafts are seen as a symbol of wealth and quality in some circles.

Spacecrafts

While aircrafts are the main products of Auridan-Echidson, the company also produces some transatmospheric spacecrafts as well as shuttles and small star liners. Like AE's conventional aircrafts, the spacecrafts manufactured by AE are seen as luxurious and well worth the investment, but only a few are produced each year. While the current production backlog leads to delays of up to a year to deliver such spacecrafts, the current demand is not enough to justify the construction of new manufacturing plants.