The industry source said that Finmeccanica’s experience in building the Eurofighter could make it easier for the group to join any European or international partnership for the next generation of fighter aircraft, which could either be a drone or a more traditional fighter plane.

Although its Anglo-Italian AgustaWestland helicopter business is profit-making, Finmeccanica needs to cut costs and restructure its aeronautics and defence electronics operations - sectors in which greater international cooperation is needed because of shrinking budgets.

Analysts have said that Finmeccanica could expand cooperation or even consider a merger with French aerospace and defence electronics specialist Thales.