Harrier GR.9

How we’ve evolved

BAE Systems’ proud heritage started in the days of A.V. Roe and his first aeroplane, and the wireless operators who saved hundreds by getting the distress signal out from the Titanic. It continued through perilous Lancaster bombing missions in World War II and the inaugural flight of the world’s first vertical take-off, right through to the total systems integration solutions demanded by today’s civil and military customers.

Here, we include just some of our more recent milestones. For the full story of our evolution and company mergers since the 1970s, click here.

  • April 1977 – British Aerospace (BAe) formed as a nationalised corporation by the merger of British Aircraft Corporation, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and Scottish Aviation.
  • January 1981 – British Aerospace formed as a public limited company (plc), acquiring the assets and business of the nationalised corporation.
  • February 1981 – UK Government sold 51.57% of its shares to public.
  • May 1982 – Sperry Gyroscope acquired for £42m, the first in a long line of acquisitions that would extend well into the 1990s.
  • 1982 – Sowerby Research Centre established at Filton, Bristol as BAe's scientific research organisation.
  • January 1989 – British Aerospace plc became HQ management organisation controlling wholly owned subsidiaries, each marketing its own specialised products under its own name.
  • December 1990 – British Aerospace-Ansett Flying College Pty Ltd formed as a joint venture to establish a pilot training service in Australia.
  • January 1992 – British Aerospace Defence Limited began trading as a wholly owned subsidiary of BAe on 1st January 1992.
  • February 1992 – Three new wholly owned companies, formed to replace British Aerospace (Commercial Aircraft) Ltd; British Aerospace Airbus Limited, British Aerospace Regional Aircraft Limited and British Aerospace Corporate Jets Limited.
  • October 1993 – British Aerospace (Dynamics) and GEC-Marconi form a joint venture company, UKAMS Limited, to manage and develop their involvement in the naval Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) guided weapons project.
  • June 1995 – British Aerospace and Saab Military Aircraft sign joint marketing and production agreement to offer JAS 39 Gripen in the export market.
  • August 1996 – British Aerospace plc announces it has signed an agreement with Lagadere Groupe SCA to form a joint venture in guided weapons, guided weapon systems and related activities.
  • April 1997 – British Aerospace and Lockheed Martin Corporation form an international team (SIKA) to compete to develop the solution for Tactical Reconnaissance Armoured Combat Equipment Requirement/Future Scout Cavalry System (TRACER/FSCS).
  • June 1997 – British Aerospace joins Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) team.
  • November 1997 – British Aerospace forms new business unit British Aerospace Defence Systems.
  • April 1998 – British Aerospace founds its Virtual University, linking education, training and development for its workforce with the acquisition of new technologies and strategic research.
  • September 1998 – British Aerospace and Rolls Royce jointly invest £1.5 million in partnership agreement with the Universities of Cambridge, Sheffield and Southampton to research into future engineering design processes.
  • November 1999 – British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems merged. The company is called BAE Systems.
  • December 1999 – BAE Systems acquires the Govan shipyard on the Clyde in Scotland.
  • May 2000 – BAE Systems’ Regional Aircraft launches the Jetstream 41 MACRO (Material And Component Repair And Overhaul) programme.
  • June 2000 – BAE Systems forms the new Airbus Integrated Company (AIC) in conjunction with its Airbus partners.
  • September 2000 – BAE Systems North America acquires Lockheed Martin Control Systems. Regional Aircraft starts final assembly of the first Nimrod MRA4 aircraft.
  • November 2000 – BAE Systems acquires Lockheed Martin Aerospace Electronic Systems (AES).
  • April 2001 – BAE Systems becomes part of a joint venture in missile systems, called MBDA.
  • May 2001 – BAE Systems and Xchanging Ltd join forces
  • July 2001 – New Airbus Integrated Company formed called Airbus SAS. BAE Systems holds 20%.
  • December 2001 – MBDA SAS created through the merger of Matra BAe Dynamics Aerospatiale Matra Missile and the guided weapons business of AMS. BAE Systems holds 37.5%.
  • October 2002 – BAE Systems signs historic co-operation agreement with VT and Babcock for the Future Aircraft Carriers.
  • January 2003 – BAE Systems awarded a contract worth over £150 million from the UK MOD to continue the Harrier GR9 sustainment and upgrade programme. The MOD selects BAE Systems as UK Aircraft carrier prime contractor.
  • June 2003 – Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems become partners on Missile Defence.
  • December 2003 – The UK MOD and BAE Systems sign £82 million Tornado contract, and the MOD awards the £207 million VC10 contact to BAE Systems.
  • January 2004 – The UK MOD awards BAE Systems the £100 million Harrier GR9 contract.
  • August 2004 – BAE Systems completed five significant acquisitions, including that of Alvis plc.
  • September 2004 – BAE Systems creates a new Land Systems business by bringing together Alvis and RO Defence.
  • March 2005 – BAE Systems awarded a $834 million contract for full-rate production of the M777A1 Howitzer.
  • June 2005 – BAE Systems completes acquisition of United Defense Industries in a transaction valued at £2.25 billion. The UK MOD awards the £38 million VC10 contract extension to BAE Systems.
  • July 2005 – BAE Systems receives $31 million contract for C-130J electronic warfare systems.