Marconi Electronic Systems
Parent General Electric Company | |
Marconi Electronic Systems (MES), or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of General Electric Company (GEC). It was demerged from GEC and bought by British Aerospace (BAe) on 30 November 1999 to form BAE Systems. GEC then renamed itself Marconi plc.
MES exists today as BAE Systems Electronics Limited, a subsidiary of BAE Systems, but the assets were rearranged elsewhere within that company. MES-related businesses include
History
The Marconi Company had been formed by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 in Britain, originally under the name of The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company.[1] Following GEC's acquisition of Marconi as part of English Electric in 1968, the Marconi brand was used for its defence businesses, e.g. Marconi Space & Defence Systems (MSDS), Marconi Underwater Systems Ltd (MUSL).
When it was bought by General Electric, MES represented the pinnacle of GEC's defence businesses which had a heritage of almost 100 years. GEC's history of military products dates back to World War I with its contribution to the war effort then including radios and bulbs. World War II consolidated this position with the company involved in many important technological advances, most notably radar.
Between 1945 and GEC's demerger of its defence business in 1999, the company became one of the world's most important
Demerger
The 1997 merger of American corporations Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, which followed the forming of Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defence contractor in 1995, increased the pressure on European defence companies to consolidate. In June 1997, British Aerospace Defence managing director John Weston commented "Europe... is supporting three times the number of contractors on less than half the budget of the U.S.".[2] European governments wished to see the merger of their defence manufacturers into a single entity, a European Aerospace and Defence Company.[3]
As early as 1995, British Aerospace and the German aerospace and defence company
GEC was also under pressure to participate in defence industry consolidation. Reporting the appointment of
While MES was responsible for the majority of GEC's defence sales other GEC companies achieved defence related sales, principally GEC Alsthom, GEC-Plessey Telecommunications (GPT) and GEC Plessey Semiconductors.
Organisation
- Marconi Avionics
- Marconi North America
- Marconi Naval Systems
- Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS)
- Matra Marconi Space
- Thomson Marconi Sonar
- Marconi Research Centre
- Marconi Radar Systems
- Marconi Communications Systems
Major projects
This is a partial list:
- Produced 12 of the class of 16 Type 23 frigates. Also the major electronics & equipment supplier for the class.
- Civil avionics, e.g. Boeing 777 fly-by-wire systems
- UK Prime Contractor on the Horizon CNGF programme until 1999. Following the withdrawal of the UK from the programme MES was awarded the subsequent Type 45 destroyerPrime Contractor position several days before merging with BAe.
- Part of Raytheon ASTOR bid team
- Royal Navy Astute-class fleet submarines
- BrimstoneAnti-Armour Missile
- TIALD laser designator pod
- AI.24 Foxhunter, radar for the Tornado
- ECR-90, radar for the Eurofighter Typhoon.
- Member of JSFdevelopment team
- Battlefield Artillery Target Engagement System (BATES) for use with
- Spearfish torpedo
- Sting Ray torpedo
Spacecraft
- Ariel 6
- Prospero X-3
- Zircon (satellite)
See also
- Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom
- GEC-Marconi scientist deaths conspiracy theory – Article about the 25+ defence employees who have died in mysterious circumstances since the early 1980s
- CMC Electronics – formerly the Canadian Marconi Company, once part of EE/GEC & BAe
References
- ^ "Marconi's first radio broadcast made 125 years ago". BBC News. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
- ^ Rothman, Andrea; Landberg, Reed (15 June 1997). "Europe Defense Firms Feel Pressure to Unite". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 17 May 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2007.
- ^ "Business: The Company File: Defence merger on the radar". BBC. 10 July 1998. Retrieved 15 September 2007.
- ^ Jones, Adam (20 January 1999). "Europe cries foul as New BAe emerges". The Times.
- ^ a b Spiegel, Peter (17 July 2004). "The largest aerospace companies gather next week for the Farnborough air show but the event will be without its long-time unofficial host". Financial Times. p. 11.
- ^ Hotten, Russell (19 March 1996). "GEC confirms Simpson job". The Independent. p. 17.
- ^ BAE Systems Annual Report 1999 p.22 BAE Systems plc (2000) Retrieved 27 October 2006
- ^ Nevill, Louise (4 January 1999). "BAe and Marconi moving toward merger". The Scotsman. p. 17.
- ^ "Speculation Rises on GEC Merger". The Scotsman. 28 December 1998.
- ^ "Getting it together?". The Economist. 20 July 2002.
- ^ "Battlefield Artillery Target Engagement System - Hansard - UK Parliament".
- ^ "Second Day's Debate - Hansard - UK Parliament".