BAE Systems Australia
{{Short description|Defence contractor in Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox company
| name = BAE Systems Australia Limited
| logo = BAE Systems logo.svg
| logo_size = 180px
| type = Subsidiary
| foundation = 1953
| location_city = Edinburgh Parks, Adelaide
| location_country = Australia
| origins =
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Sir Roger Carr (Chairman)|Ben Hudson (CEO)}}
| area_served =
| industry = Aerospace and defence
| products =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| num_employees = Approximately 4,000{{cite web|url=https://www.baesystems.com/en/our-company/about-us/where-we-operate|title=A Global Company|website=Baesystems.com|accessdate=14 December 2018}}
| parent = BAE Systems
| divisions = BAE Systems Maritime Australia
| subsid =
| homepage = [http://www.baesystems.com/en-aus/home www.baesystems.com/en-aus/home]
| footnotes = }}
BAE Systems Australia, a subsidiary of BAE Systems, is one of the largest defence contractors in Australia. It was formed by the merger of British Aerospace Australia and GEC-Marconi Systems and expanded by the acquisitions of Armor Holdings in 2007 and Tenix Defence in June 2008.
History
BAE Systems' Australian heritage dates back to testing of the first generation air defence missile systems at the Woomera Test Range in the early 1950s. Weapons testing at Woomera began in 1953 by the Bristol Aeroplane Company and English Electric. Both companies merged to become the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). In 1977, BAC was nationalised and operations in Australia were renamed British Aerospace Australia.
British Aerospace Australia doubled in size in April 1996 with the purchase of AWA Defence Industries (AWADI).{{cite news | first = Chris | last = Milne | title = Defence force on warpath | work = Adelaide Advertiser | publisher = Nationwide News | date = 1996-07-12 }} AWADI was formed in October 1988 by the merger of the defence electronics business of AWA, Thorn EMI Electronics Australia and Fairey Australasia.{{cite news | first = Chris | last = Milne | title = $12,500m defence work | work = The Advertiser | publisher = Nationwide News | date = 1988-10-18 }}
BAE Systems was formed on 30 November 1999, following the merger of British Aerospace with the General Electric Company's (GEC) defence arm, Marconi Electronic Systems. BAE Systems Australia expanded with its parent company's acquisition of Armor Holdings in 2007 and doubled in size with the purchase of Tenix Defence in June 2008.
Products and services
BAE Systems Australia provides many products and services to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) including: Fast Jet support, Military Flight Training, Autonomous Systems, Guided Weapons (naval air defence) and Communications, Command & Support.
BAE Systems Australia operates two business units: Aerospace and Maritime & Integrated Systems (M&IS).{{Cite web|title=BAE Systems Maritime engages three SMEs for shipyard tech - Australian Defence Magazine|url=https://www.australiandefence.com.au/defence/sea/bae-systems-maritime-engages-three-smes-for-shipyard-tech|access-date=2021-10-07|website=www.australiandefence.com.au|language=en}}
=Naval=
BAE Systems inherited the {{sclass|Canberra|landing helicopter dock|1}} project from Tenix Defence.
On 22 October 2008, BAE Systems was selected to continue with the Royal Australian Navy's Guided Missile Frigate Maintenance Contract (FFG IMS). BAE Systems replaced the existing company Thales Australia on 1 January 2009. This contract is expected to run until the last guided missile frigate ({{HMAS|Newcastle|FFG 06|6}}) is decommissioned in 2021.
BAE Systems' bid for work on the {{sclass|Hobart|destroyer|1}}s was rejected in May 2009, when the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance subcontracted 70% of construction of the destroyers to NQEA and the Forgacs Marine & Defence.{{cite web|url=https://www.ausawd.com/Article/NewsDetail.aspx?p=16&id=22|title=Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance - Media - Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance Selects Preferred Suppliers for $450 Million Shipbuilding Work|website=Ausawd.com|accessdate=14 December 2018|archive-date=21 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521023442/https://www.ausawd.com/Article/NewsDetail.aspx?p=16&id=22|url-status=dead}} However, on 29 June 2009, the work allocated to NQEA was transferred to BAE Systems Australia due to the former being unable to meet its financial obligations to the project.{{cite web|url=https://www.ausawd.com/Article/NewsDetail.aspx?p=16&id=23|title=Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance - Media - AWD Alliance Shipbuilding Contract With BAE Systems Australia Defence|website=Ausawd.com|accessdate=14 December 2018|archive-date=21 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521023422/https://www.ausawd.com/Article/NewsDetail.aspx?p=16&id=23|url-status=dead}}{{cite news | url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25710559-31477,00.html | title=Capital Circle | website=The Australian| access-date=1 July 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715114747/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25710559-31477,00.html | archive-date=15 July 2009 | url-status=dead }} BAE Systems will build a total of 36 blocks for the three destroyers at Williamstown Dockyard. These are the hull machinery compartments, and bow and stern sections of the ships.{{cite web|url=https://www.baesystems.com/en/error-page|title=Error Page|website=Baesystems.com|accessdate=14 December 2018}}
BAE Systems was announced on 29 June 2018 as the preferred tenderer to build the {{sclass|Hunter|frigate|1}}s, through ASC Shipbuilding and building the nine ships in South Australia.{{cite news |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/britannia-rules-waves-uks-35bn-frigate-win/news-story/d498a40c8c6352f7f6c15e8591752b2f |title=Britannia rules waves: UK's $35bn frigate win |first=Simon |last=Benson |date=29 June 2018 |accessdate=29 June 2018 |newspaper=The Australian}}{{cite press release |url=https://www.baesystems.com/en-aus/article/bae-systems-selected-as-preferred-tenderer-to-deliver-australia-s-sea-5000-future-frigates |title=BAE Systems selected as preferred tenderer to deliver Australia's SEA 5000 Future Frigates |date=9 June 2018 |accessdate=29 June 2018 |publisher=BAE Systems}}
ASC Shipbuilding was acquired by BAE Systems in December 2018, and renamed to BAE Systems Maritime Australia in 2021.{{Cite web |title=ASC Shipbuilding renamed as four companies tapped for Hunter class - Australian Defence Magazine |url=https://www.australiandefence.com.au/defence/sea/asc-shipbuilding-renamed-as-four-companies-tapped-for-hunter-class |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=www.australiandefence.com.au |language=en}}
= Aerospace =
BAE Systems, along with several other defence contractors, is developing the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. They have also showcased the STRIX VSTOL drone at the Australian International Airshow.{{Cite web |title=Autonomy; What we do
|url=https://www.baesystems.com/en-aus/what-we-do/autonomy |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=www.baesystems.com}}{{Cite web |title=BAE Systems Australia unveils STRIX hybrid VTOL uncrewed air system
|url=https://www.baesystems.com/en-aus/article/strix-hybrid-vtol-uncrewed-air-system |date=2023-02-28 |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=BAE Systems}}
BAE Australia is also developing the Razer low-cost PGM for the RAAF and export customers, and has gone through trials as of January 2025. The Razer is designed, developed and manufactured in Australia.{{Cite web |author=Liep Gatwech |title=Razer and the global landscape of PGM Systems |url=https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/razer-and-the-global-landscape-of-pgm-systems |date=2025-04-10 |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Australian Defence Magazine}}
Corporate and community
BAE Systems Australia is headquartered at Edinburgh Parks, South Australia. {{As of|2015|November|19}} the company employs approximately 4,000 people Australia-wide. BAE Systems Australia's partner charity since 2015 is Soldier On with whom they work to support the health, employment and rehabilitation of Australia's veterans, service personnel and their families.{{cite web | url=https://www.baesystems.com/en-aus/about-us/a-responsible-company/community-investment/supporting-the-defence-community | title=Supporting our defence community }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{BAE Systems}}
External links
- [https://www.baesystems.com/en-aus/home Official site of BAE Systems]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Aerospace companies of Australia
Category:Australian subsidiaries of foreign companies
Category:BAE Systems subsidiaries and divisions
Category:Defence companies of Australia
Category:Manufacturing companies based in Adelaide