In the same way as propulsion or lift, braking is one of the vital functions on an aircraft. Thanks to the braking function the aircraft is able to come to a halt after landing, taxies in safety and can stop in an emergency if there is a rejected take-off.

Whether on a bicycle, car or aircraft, the problem is the same: the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle has to be absorbed and then transformed into heat in order to dissipate it.

Stopping an Airbus A340 or a Boeing 777 travelling at 300 km/h in a few hundred meters means absorbing more than 1 billion joules in a few tens of seconds - around 125 mega joules per wheel and brake! Although the risk is in the order of 1 in 1 million take offs, it is the most extreme case that Messier-Bugatti-Dowty's wheels and brakes have to deal with in the unlikely event of a rejected take-off. To do this, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty has developed a range of innovative technologies, such as carbon and electric brakes, and can rely on its experience gained from decade-long partnerships on a range of commercial and military programs.