Now, with over US$42 billion in assets, Finmeccanica is Italy’s largest high-tech industry. Still owned in part (30%) by Italy’s government, the firm’s military revenues surpassed US$14.4 billion in 2010, making it the world’s 8th largest war industry. Finmeccanica has steadily climbed these ranks since 2000, when it was the world’s 28th largest war industry. Making everything from complete warplanes and helicopters to satellites and electronics for many weapons systems, almost 60% of its revenue is military related.

Finmeccanica’s sales to the US government are almost entirely military related. Between 2000 and 2009, it had US government contracts worth US$10.9 billion. Of these, US$10.8 billion (99%) were with military clients, most notably the Army (67%), Air Force (16%) and Navy (9%). In the 2000s, Finmeccanica made it onto the Pentagon’s top 100 list twice, in 2008 and 2009, when it ranked 23rd and 26th, respectively.

One of Finmeccanica’s units, Selex Galileo, is providing its Gabbiano radar for two versions of an Israeli Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). These UAVs, the "Hermes" 450 and 900, are made by Israel’s top war industry, Elbit Systems. The "Hermes" 450 is designed for tactical missions of up to 20 hours, while the larger "Hermes" 900 version can fly for 30 hours without refuelling. Besides using the "Hermes" 450 for reconnaissance/surveillance operations, Israel’s Air Force has equipped them with missiles for air strikes, including political assassinations. Israel’s use of these armed UAVs includes numerous attacks on Gaza, as well as against Lebanon (2006) and Sudan (2009). Israel’s "Hermes" 900s will presumably also be weaponised for such missions.

Finmeccanica is the main contractor in Italy involved in building the F-35 "Joint Strike Fighter," which Israel is scheduled to receive from prime contractor, Lockheed Martin (LM). (See LM in table "CPP Investments.") Three Finmeccanica units are involved:

(1) SELEX Galileo is building the electro-optical targeting systems to direct the F-35’s laser-guided weapons.

(2) SELEX Communications is making the F-35’s UHF radio system, navigation equipment, cockpit panels and lighting system.

(3) Alenia Aeronautica is designing and producing the F-35’s wings.

In February 2012, Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced a US$1 billion deal to buy thirty M346 "Master" advanced combat training jets from Finmeccanica’s Alenia Aeronautica.

Finmeccanica has long had partnerships with Israeli military industries. As early as 1999, Agusta un’Azienda Finmeccanica was collaborating with the Israeli Aerospace Industry (IAI). (See IAI in "State-owned Israeli War Industries.") Finmeccanica’s partnership was with IAI’s Tamam Division on Turkey’s "ATAK Helicopter."

Finmeccanica’s SELEX Communications announced in 2010 that it had integrated the broadband wireless network technology from Israel’s MaxTech Ltd. into a handheld radio communications device to deliver voice, data and video messages for military users. MaxTech makes the Snipetech "Sniper Coordination System" and says its "clients include elite forces and SWAT [Special Weapons and Tactics] units of the Israeli Defense Forces."

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