84-564: Marconi Electronic Systems ( MES ), or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of General Electric Company (GEC). It was split off 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 BAE Systems Submarine Solutions , BAE Systems Surface Ships , BAE Systems Insyte and Selex ES (now
168-626: A debt-for-equity swap , the firm's creditors received 99.5% of the new company's shares. In October 2003, the company announced that it intended to pursue listing on the Nasdaq . In 2005, the company failed to secure any part of BT's 21st Century Network (21CN) programme, surprising commentators and sending the company's shares tumbling. Before the announcement, the investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort had said, "[Marconi is] so advanced with its products and so entrenched with BT Group plc that its selection looks certain." Various bids were received for
252-577: A joint venture of European aerospace companies originally incorporated in 1970 to develop and produce a wide-body aircraft to compete with American-built airliners. EADS rebranded itself as Airbus SE in 2015. Reflecting its multinational origin, the company operates major offices and assembly plants in France , Germany , Spain , and the United Kingdom , along with more recent additions in Canada , China , and
336-467: A vertically integrated company which The Scotsman described as "[a combination of British Aerospace's] contracting and platform-building skills with Marconi's coveted electronics systems capability". for example combining the manufacturer of the Eurofighter with the company that provided many of the aircraft's electronic systems; British Aerospace was MES' largest customer. In contrast, DASA's response to
420-543: A key to his appointment. GEC favours forging a national "champion" defence group with BAe to compete with the giant US organisations". When GEC put MES up for sale on 22 December 1998, BAE abandoned the DASA merger in favour of purchasing its British rival. The merger of British Aerospace and MES was announced on 19 January 1999. Evans stated that in 2004 that his fear was that an American defence contractor would acquire MES and challenge both British Aerospace and DASA. The merger created
504-418: A major American defence contractor, for US$ 1.4 billion. 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
588-621: A major player in the electrical industry. In 1921, a new purpose-built company headquarters (Magnet House) was opened in Kingsway, London ; two years later, GEC's industrial research laboratories at Wembley (later named the Hirst Research Centre ) also opened. In the 1920s, the company was heavily involved in the creation and roll-out of Britain's National Grid . During the Second World War , GEC made several significant contributions to
672-581: A model range that parallels the commercial aircraft offered by the company. Following the entry of the 737-based Boeing Business Jet , Airbus joined the business jet market with the A319 Corporate Jet in 1997. Although the term Airbus Corporate Jet was initially used only for the A319CJ, it is now often used for all models, including VIP widebodies. As of December 2008, 121 corporate and private jets are operating, and 164 aircraft have been ordered. The company
756-480: A new joint venture, GEC-Alsthom. In May 1989, GEC-Alsthom bought British rail vehicle manufacturer Metro-Cammell . In early 1996, the Otis Elevator Company acquired The Express Lift Company from GEC. By the mid-1990s, GEC was making profits of £1 billion, had cash reserves of £3 billion, and was valued at £10 billion. The move towards electronics and modern technology, particularly in
840-638: A number of other plants in different European locations, reflecting its foundation as a consortium. For aircraft assembled in Europe, aircraft parts often move between the different factories and the assembly lines via the use of the Beluga and BelugaXL , a fleet modified aircraft capable of carrying entire sections of fuselage. For aircraft assembled in China and the United States, the parts needed to build an aircraft meet in
924-511: A part of Leonardo ). The Marconi Company had been formed by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 in Britain, originally under the name of The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company. 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
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#17330855531341008-530: A risky strategy of pursuing fast growth via rapid acquisition of numerous other companies, particularly within the United States. In February 1998, Marconi Instruments , the test equipment arm of GEC, was sold to IFR Systems . In March 1998, GEC announced the merger of its radar and avionics business with Alenia Difesa to form Alenia Marconi Systems . In June 1998, it completed the $ 1.4bn acquisition of major American defence contractor Tracor , which became part of MES. The same month, GEC sold its share of
1092-520: A second production line. North America plays a crucial role for Airbus, both in terms of aircraft sales and suppliers. Of the approximately 5,300 Airbus jetliners sold worldwide, 2,000 are ordered by North American customers. These orders span Airbus' entire product line, from the compact A318 to the massive A380, accommodating 107 to 565 passengers. Notably, US contractors contribute significantly, supporting around 120,000 jobs and generating an estimated $ 5.5 billion in business. For instance, one variant of
1176-573: A separate company, GEC Industrial Locomotives Ltd). The company had manufacturing sites at Manchester , Preston and Sheffield . The company continued to expand with the acquisition in 1979 of weighing machine maker W & T Avery , renamed GEC Avery. In April 1981, GEC acquired Cincinnati Electronics (CE), in Cincinnati , Ohio, at the time owned by George J Mealey. CE was a leader in military radios and infrared technology, space electronics, and other high-security products, doing business throughout
1260-457: A series of cut-backs and mergers that returned the company to profit. GEC acquired Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) in 1967, and merged with English Electric one year later. The company continued to expand via acquisitions; between 1979 and 1981, GEC acquired W & T Avery , Cincinnati Electronics , and Picker Corporation . During the 1980s, the company was Britain's largest private employer with over 250,000 employees; becoming one of
1344-687: A single European location where they are loaded onto ships for the final journey to the assembly line. Airbus opened an assembly plant for the A320 family of aircraft in Tianjin , China in 2009. Airbus started constructing a $ 350 million component manufacturing plant in Harbin , China in July 2009, which now employs over 1,000 people. It was fully operational by early 2011, the 30,000 square metre plant manufactures composite parts and assembles composite work-packages for
1428-425: A stylised turbine symbol, redolent of a jet engine , and a font similar to Helvetica Black . The logo colours were reflected in the standard Airbus aircraft livery in each period. The EADS logo between 2000 and 2010 combined the logos of the merged companies, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (a four-ray star) and Aérospatiale-Matra (a curved arrow), after which these elements were removed and a new font with 3D shading
1512-599: A value of the stake at "approximately €2.0 billion." Lagardère was to reduce its holding by an identical amount. However, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations , a unit of the French government, acquired 2.25 % of EADS. At issue, as a result, is the fact that the German and French shareholdings were now in imbalance. On 30 August 2006, shortly after the stock price decline caused by the A380 delivery delays, more than 5 % of EADS stock
1596-480: Is a partial list: General Electric Company The General Electric Company ( GEC ) was a major British industrial conglomerate involved in consumer and defence electronics, communications, and engineering. It was originally founded in 1886 as G. Binswanger and Company as an electrical goods wholesaler based in London . It quickly adopted a then-unorthodox business model of supplying electrical components over
1680-556: Is also a 10% owner of Dassault Aviation , which builds the Falcon family of smaller business jets. Airbus Defence and Space markets and either builds or modifies new aircraft for military use. Airbus became increasingly interested in developing and selling to the military aviation market in the late 1990s. It embarked on two main fields of development: aerial refuelling with the Airbus A310 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) and later
1764-747: Is longer and wider than the fuselage used on the A300, A310, A330, and A340. A second narrow-body jet was added to the product list in 2018 when Airbus gained control of the Bombardier CSeries programme, and rebranded it as the A220. The jet offers five-abreast seating compared to the six-abreast seating on the A320. The company is also a 50% owner of the ATR joint venture which builds the ATR 42 and ATR 72 regional aircraft. Airbus Corporate Jets markets and modifies new aircraft for private and corporate customers. It has
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#17330855531341848-536: The Airbus A330 MRTT , and tactical airlift with the Airbus A400M Atlas . The company has also continued to market and assemble some military aircraft previously offered by the companies that formed Airbus, notably CASA . The A310 and A330-based MRTT aircraft are conversions of civilian airliners. The aircraft are called multi-role tanker transports because, in addition to their aerial refuelling capability,
1932-780: The Airbus C295 , a smaller tactical transport aircraft, that was designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace company CASA . The company is also a 50% owner of the ArianeGroup joint venture which builds the Ariane 5 space launch vehicle, a 46% owner of the Eurofighter joint venture which builds the Typhoon fighter jet, a 42.5% owner of the Panavia Aircraft joint venture which built
2016-589: The Express Lift Company in Northampton , England. During the interwar period , GEC expanded to become a global corporation and national institution. The takeover of Fraser and Chalmers in 1918 took GEC into heavy engineering and bolstered their claim to supply 'everything electrical'. In the same year, the maker of electricity meters, Chamberlain and Hookham, was also acquired by GEC. In 1919, GEC merged its radio valve manufacturing interests with those of
2100-518: The G. Binswanger and Company , an electrical goods wholesaler established in London in the 1880s by a German-Jewish immigrant, Gustav Binswanger (later Gustav Byng). Regarded as the year GEC was founded, 1886 saw a fellow immigrant, Hugo Hirst , join Byng, and the company changed its name to The General Electric Apparatus Company (G. Binswanger) . Their small business found early success with its unorthodox method of supplying electrical components over
2184-589: The Marconi Company to form the Marconi-Osram Valve Company . In the 1920s, the company was heavily involved in the creation of the UK-wide National Grid . The opening of a new purpose-built company headquarters (Magnet House) in Kingsway, London in 1921, and the pioneering industrial research laboratories at Wembley in 1923 (later named the Hirst Research Centre ), were symbolic of
2268-593: The Marconi Company , Ruston & Hornsby , Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns , the Vulcan Foundry , Willans & Robinson and Dick, Kerr & Co . The Elliot computer company became GEC Computers , whose products were successful in academic computing and real-time process control in the 1970s and 1980s. The Birmingham Witton works remained one of the company's biggest sites, producing high-voltage switchgear and transformers , large generators, small motors, mercury arc rectifiers and traction components, until
2352-856: The Paris Stock Exchange , the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the four regional Spanish stock exchanges (including the Bolsa de Madrid ). The current company is the product of consolidation in the European aerospace industry, tracing back to the formation of the Airbus Industrie GIE consortium in 1970. In 2000, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) NV was established. In addition to other subsidiaries pertaining to security and space activities, EADS owned 100% of
2436-802: The Tiger attack helicopter, along with militarized versions of the H125, H135, H145, H160, H175, H215, and H225. The company is also a 62.5% owner of the NHIndustries joint venture, which builds the NH90 military utility helicopter. Revenues by division, as of 2023: Commercial aircraft generated 74% of total revenue for the Airbus group in 2018 and 72% in 2023. The key trends for Airbus Commercial Aircraft (excluding Defence, Space and Helicopters) are as of each financial year ending December 31: The division Airbus Defence and Space
2520-697: The Tornado fighter jet, a 37.5% owner of the MBDA joint venture which builds missiles, and a 10% owner of Dassault Aviation which builds the Rafale fighter jet, and previously, the Mirage 2000 fighter. Airbus Helicopters markets and builds new rotorcraft for civilian and military use. The division was founded formed in 1992 as the Eurocopter Group, through the merger of the helicopter divisions of Aérospatiale and DASA (two of
2604-641: The United States . Airbus' headquarters are legally registered in Leiden , Netherlands, but daily management is conducted from the company's main office located in Blagnac , France. The SE in its corporate name stands for Societas Europaea . The company is led by CEO Guillaume Faury and is a component of the EURO STOXX 50 stock market index . Since its inception in 2000, the company's shares have been listed on
Marconi Electronic Systems - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-470: The 1920s to the 1960s. With the death of Gustav Byng in 1910, Hugo Hirst became the chairman as well as managing director, a position he had assumed in 1906. Hirst's shrewd investment in lamp manufacture was proving extremely profitable. In 1909, Osram began production of the most successful tungsten filament lamps in the industry. Rapidly growing private and commercial use of electricity created huge demand. The company expanded both at home and overseas, with
2772-658: The A320, making it easier to train crew. The success led Airbus to introduce a lengthened version, the A321 in 1993, along with the shorter A319 in 1995 and the even shorter A318 in 2002. In 2016, Airbus re-engineered the narrow-body family, in a programme called the A320neo ( new engine option). The wide-body programme led to the introduction of the four-engine A340 in 1991 and the twinjet A330 in 1992. At that time, Airbus wanted to offer four-engined jet aircraft to allow for longer transatlantic and transpacific flights. However, during
2856-624: The A350 XWB, A320 families and future Airbus programmes. Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Corporation, Hafei Aviation Industry Company Ltd, AviChina Industry & Technology and other Chinese partners hold an 80% stake in the plant while Airbus controls the remaining 20%. In 2022, the Tianjin plant finished upgrading works to allow for production of A321. In 2023, the Tianjin final assembly plant started construction to be expanded with
2940-809: The A380 boasts 51% American content in terms of work share value. Plans for a Mobile, Alabama aircraft assembly plant were unveiled by Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier from the Mobile Convention Centre on 2 July 2012. The plans include a $ 600 million factory at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley for the assembly of the A220 , A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. It could employ up to 1,000 full-time workers when operational. Construction began on 8 April 2013, and became operable by 2015, producing up to 50 aircraft per year by 2017. The key trends of Airbus SE are (as of each financial year ending December 31): In October 2005
3024-521: The Allied war effort, such as the development of the cavity magnetron for radar , various advances in communications technology, and the mass production of valves , lamps, and lighting equipment. In 1961, GEC merged with Radio & Allied Industries . Throughout the mid-to-late 1960s, GEC's new managing director, Arnold Weinstock , sought to rationalise the British electrical industry and boost efficiency via
3108-641: The British Ministry of Defence warned European politicians to stop, as it saw it, interfering in the corporate governance of EADS. The former UK Defence Procurement Minister Lord Drayson hinted that the UK government, a major customer for EADS, may withhold future contracts. "As a key customer, we see it as important for EADS to move in a direction that is free from political interference." On 4 April 2006, DaimlerChrysler announced its intention to reduce its shareholding from 30 % to 22.5 %. The company placed
3192-557: The GPO; GEC supplied a large CB manual exchange for Glasgow in 1910. The British telephone system had been taken over and was operated by the General Post Office (GPO or BPO, a government department). The telephone manufacturing section moved from Manchester to Coventry in 1919, and GEC was one of the "ring" of four (later five) companies supplying the GPO with Strowger automatic telephone exchanges (called "Step-by-Step" or SXS) in use from
3276-555: The aircraft can also be configured for troop transport, medevac, and cargo transportation. The A400M Atlas is a four-engine, turboprop-powered tactical transport aircraft. The A400M is sized between the American-made C-130 and the C-17 transports, and while it can carry heavier loads than the C-130, its turboprop engines allow it to retain the ability to use rough landing strips. The A400M
3360-640: The aircraft's development, new rules extended twinjet operations to 120 minutes in 1986, and 180 minutes in 1989. Although the new rules hurt sales of the A340, they greatly benefited the A330 . Production of the A340 ended in 2011, while the A330 would be re-engineered as the A330neo ( new engine option ) in 2018. The world's largest passenger airliner was introduced by Airbus in 2005; the A380
3444-479: The breakdown of the merger discussion was to merge with Aérospatiale to create the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company ( EADS ), a horizontal integration . EADS has since considered a merger with Thales to create a "fully rounded" company. 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. This
Marconi Electronic Systems - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-571: The burgeoning demand for electric lighting was to make GEC's fortune. In 1900, GEC was incorporated as a public limited company , The General Electric Company (1900) Ltd (the '1900' was dropped three years later). In 1902, its first purpose-built factory, the Witton Engineering Works, was opened near Birmingham . In 1907, GEC set up the Peel-Connor Telephone Works to manufacture telephone exchanges and telephones for
3612-436: The bursting of the bubble in 2001 took a heavy toll on Marconi. While the company initially chose to deny any impact to sales, the delayed issue of a profit warning spooked investors. In July 2001, Marconi plc suffered a 54% drop in its share price following the suspension of trading of its shares, profit warning, and redundancies. Having accumulated a sizable debt pile that was continuing to mount due to heavy losses, Marconi
3696-480: The business was incorporated as a private company known as the General Electric Company Ltd . The company was expanding rapidly, opening new branches and factories and trading in 'everything electrical', a phrase that was to become synonymous with GEC. In 1893, it decided to invest in the manufacture of lamps. The resulting company, (to become Osram in 1909), was to lead the way in lamp design, and
3780-446: The business, including one from Huawei Technologies , with whom Marconi already had a joint venture. Prior to the collapse of the Marconi group in 2005 and 2006, the company was a major supplier of Asynchronous Transfer Mode , Gigabit Ethernet , and Internet Protocol products. The majority of Marconi Corporation's businesses (including Marconi Communications and the rights to the Marconi name) were sold to Ericsson in 2005, and
3864-407: The company became a major defence contractor . GEC's major defence related acquisitions included Associated Electrical Industries in 1967, English Electric Company (including Marconi as a subsidiary) in 1968, Yarrow Shipbuilders in 1985, parts of Ferranti 's defence business in 1990, Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering in 1995 and Kvaerner Govan in 1999. In June 1998, MES acquired Tracor ,
3948-505: The continuing expansion of both GEC and the electrical industry. During the Second World War , GEC was a major manufacturer of electrical and engineering products for the British armed forces. Significant contributions to the war effort included the development in 1940 of the cavity magnetron for radar , by the scientists John Randall and Harry Boot at the University of Birmingham , as well as advances in communications technology and
4032-527: The counter. Hugo Hirst was an entrepreneurial salesman who saw the potential of electricity and was able to direct the standardisation of an industry in its infancy. He travelled across Europe with an eye for the latest products, and in 1887 the company published the first electrical catalogue of its kind. The following year, the company acquired its first factory in Salford , where electric bells , telephones, ceiling roses and switches were manufactured. In 1889,
4116-478: The counter. In 1889, the business was incorporated as the General Electric Company Ltd , and became a public limited company 11 years later. During the 1890s and 1900s, the company heavily invested into electric lighting, a sector that proved to be immensely profitable in the long term. The GEC was heavily impacted by the outbreak of the First World War , supplying various goods to the military, and thus becoming
4200-713: The deal was yet to be completed, GEC used much of the anticipated proceeds of the MES sale to buy companies in 1999. This move was part of a major realignment of the firm to focus on the burgeoning telecoms sector, and it became a radio, telecommunications and internet equipment manufacturer. At the time, financial markets approved of the strategy; GEC's share value set new all-time highs during early 1999. In 1999, Marconi plc purchased two American equipment-makers: RELTEC Corporation in March for £1.3bn, and FORE Systems in April for £2.8bn, to complement
4284-420: The defence business. In 1997, it made an ultimately unsuccessful bid to the French government to privatise Thomson-CSF and merge it with MES. A merger of UK companies soon became the most likely development. In mid-January 1999, GEC and British Aerospace confirmed they were holding talks. On 19 January, it was announced British Aerospace was to acquire Marconi Electronic Systems for £7.7bn ($ 12.75bn). While
SECTION 50
#17330855531344368-433: The defence sector, was a departure from the domestic electrical goods market. GEC acquired the Edinburgh based Ferranti Defence Systems Group in 1990 as well as part of Ferranti International's assets in Italy. It also bought Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering (VSE) in 1995. VSE was willing to participate in a merger with a larger company to reduce its exposure to cycles in warship production, particularly in light of
4452-660: The entire British electrical industry, beginning with the internal rejuvenation of GEC. In a drive for efficiency, Weinstock made cut-backs and instigated mergers, resulting in new growth for the company. GEC returned to profit and the financial markets' confidence was restored. During the late 1960s, the electrical industry was revolutionised as GEC acquired Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) in 1967, which encompassed Metropolitan-Vickers , British Thomson-Houston , Edison Swan , Siemens Brothers & Co , Hotpoint , William Thomas Henley and Birlec . In 1968, GEC merged with English Electric , incorporating Elliott Brothers ,
4536-420: The establishment of agencies in Europe, Japan, Australia, South Africa, and India . It also did substantial trade with South America. The outbreak of the First World War transformed GEC into a major player in the electrical industry. The company was heavily involved in the war effort, supplying products such as radios, signal lamps , and the arc-lamp carbons used in searchlights . In 1917, GEC created
4620-529: The executive committees of the parent and subsidiary companies were aligned in January 2017, but the companies were kept as separate legal entities. The holding company was given its present name in April 2017. Aérospatiale (est. 1970) Matra (est. 1937) Daimler-Benz (aerospace unit) (est. 1926) Dornier Flugzeugwerke (est. 1922) Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) (est. 1968) CASA (Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA) (est. 1923) The logos of Airbus Industrie GIE and Airbus SAS displayed
4704-417: The face of competition and internal disorganisation. In 1961, GEC merged with Sir Michael Sobell's Radio & Allied Industries , and with it emerged the new power behind GEC, Sobell's son-in-law Arnold Weinstock , who became the managing director of GEC in 1963, and moved its headquarters from Kingsway to a new building at 1 Stanhope Gate in Mayfair . Weinstock embarked on a programme to rationalise
4788-410: The first 1.0T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit. In 1998, it acquired the CT division of Elscint In 1999, the company changed its name to Marconi Medical Systems. In 2001, Philips bought Marconi Medical Systems for $ 1.1 billion. GEC had become the UK's largest and most successful company and private employer, with about 250,000 employees. In 1984, it became one of the first companies in
4872-527: The first companies in the new FTSE 100 Index in 1984. It made profits in excess of £1 billion per year at its peak in the 1990s. In June 1998, GEC sold its share of the joint venture GEC-Alsthom on the Paris stock exchange . During December 1999, GEC's defence arm, Marconi Electronic Systems (MES), was sold to British Aerospace , forming BAE Systems . The rest of GEC, mainly telecommunications equipment manufacturing, continued as Marconi Communications . After buying several US telecoms manufacturers at
4956-426: The founding companies of Airbus). Airbus Helicopters is the foremost player in the turbine helicopter industry both in terms of revenues and deliveries. The division's civilian products include the single engine H125 and H130 , the light twin engine H135 and H145 , the medium twin engine H155 and H160 , the super medium twin engine H175 , and the heavy twin engine H215 and H225 . Military products include
5040-446: The joint venture GEC-Alsthom on the Paris stock exchange. After most of its US acquisitions failed, GEC began to make a loss. The cash reserves that Lord Weinstock had built up during the 1980s and early 1990s had been all but depleted, and the company was heavily in debt. In July 1998, reports began linking British Aerospace (BAe) with the German aerospace group DASA to create a new European Aerospace and Defence Company. GEC
5124-426: The nearest airport. Under the new rule, the A300 was able to operate over the North Atlantic , the Bay of Bengal , and the Indian Ocean more efficiently than the trijets and four-engined jet aircraft offered by competitors. They then went on to make the Airbus A310 which is also a wide-body aircraft. Airbus had identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the Airbus A300 , the first twin-jet wide-body. It
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#17330855531345208-575: The new FTSE 100 Index , ranking third in value behind British Petroleum and Shell Transport and Trading . In 1985, GEC acquired Yarrow Shipbuilders from British Shipbuilders . In 1988, GEC Plessey Telecommunications (GPT) was created when GEC bought Plessey . The following year, GEC and Siemens formed a joint company, GEC Siemens plc, to take over Plessey. As part of the deal, GEC took control of Plessey's avionics and naval systems businesses. In early 1989, GEC and French company Alsthom merged their power generation and transport businesses in
5292-488: The number of contractors on less than half the budget of the U.S.". European governments wished to see the merger of their defence manufacturers into a single entity, a European Aerospace and Defence Company. As early as 1995, British Aerospace and the German aerospace and defence company DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) were said to be keen to create a transnational aerospace and defence company. Merger discussions began between British Aerospace and DASA in July 1998. A merger
5376-443: The ongoing mass production of valves , lamps and lighting equipment. The post-war years saw a decline in GEC's expansion. After the death of Hugo Hirst in 1943, his son-in-law Leslie Gamage (elder son of the founder of Gamages ), along with Harry Railing, took over as joint managing directors. Despite the huge demand for electrical consumer goods, and large investments in heavy engineering and nuclear power , profits began to fall in
5460-464: The plant was gradually sold off by Weinstock in 1969. In 1969, a new subsidiary company was born, English Electric-AEI Traction Ltd. This new organisation slowly integrated together the traction divisions of both AEI and EE, culminating in 1972 when the company was renamed GEC Traction Ltd. Also added to the company was the industrial locomotive division of the former English Electric which was based at Vulcan Works, Newton-le-Willows (this later became
5544-597: The post- Cold War " Options for Change " defence review. Following GEC's purchase, VSE became Marconi Marine. During 1996, Lord Weinstock retired as GEC's managing director and was replaced by George Simpson . In July 1997, the company announced the outcomes of a major review: it would move away from its joint ventures and focus on moving toward "global leadership" in defence and aerospace ( Marconi Electronic Systems ), industrial electronics (GEC Industrial Electronics), and communications ( GEC Communications ). Simpson, along with finance director John Mayo, decided to pursue
5628-407: The pre-existing Eurocopter SA , established in 1992, as well as 80% of Airbus Industrie GIE. In 2001, Airbus Industrie GIE was reorganised as Airbus SAS , a simplified joint-stock company . In 2006, EADS acquired BAE Systems ' remaining 20% of Airbus. EADS NV was renamed Airbus Group NV and SE in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Due to the dominance of the Airbus SAS division within Airbus Group SE,
5712-457: The remainder was renamed Telent plc. Airbus Airbus SE ( / ˈ ɛər b ʌ s / AIR -buss ; French: [ɛʁbys] ; German: [ˈɛːɐ̯bʊs] ; Spanish: [ˈejɾβus] ) is a European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate defence and space and helicopter divisions. Airbus has long been
5796-422: The telecommunication business of its subsidiary Marconi Communications . Later that year, GEC acquired Kvaerner 's Govan shipyard. In April 2000, it acquired Mobile Systems International in exchange for £391m. Consolidating and monitoring the finances of these acquisitions soon added to the future difficulties encountered by Marconi. These acquisitions were made at the height of the dot-com bubble , and
5880-405: The top of the market, losses following the bursting of the dot-com bubble in 2001 led to the restructuring in 2003 of Marconi plc into Marconi Corporation plc . During 2005, the company failed to secure any part of BT's 21st Century Network (21CN) programme; that same year, Ericsson acquired the bulk of the company; what was left of the business was renamed Telent . GEC had its origins in
5964-424: The world's leading helicopter manufacturer and, in 2019, also emerged as the world's biggest manufacturer of airliners. The company was incorporated as the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company ( EADS ) in the year 2000 through the merger of the French Aérospatiale - Matra , the German DASA and Spanish CASA . The new entity subsequently acquired full ownership of its subsidiary, Airbus Industrie GIE ,
6048-508: The world. (Now owned by L-3 Cincinnati Electronics.) In 1981, GEC acquired Picker Corporation, an American manufacturer of medical imaging equipment. GEC merged Picker with Cambridge Instruments, GEC Medical, and American Optical to form Picker International (PI). GEC Medical was itself an amalgamation of Watson & Sons Ltd, formed in the early 20th century in London and long a part of GEC, and A E Dean & Co of Croydon . In 1982, PI introduced
6132-563: Was a four-engine aircraft with two full-length passenger seating decks. Intended to challenge the dominance of the Boeing 747 in the long-haul market, the A380 was ultimately a money-losing venture for Airbus due to large development costs and limited sales, and production ended in January 2022. The A350 , a wide-body, twinjet aircraft was introduced in 2013. The A350 was the first Airbus aircraft made largely from carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers . It
6216-413: Was a partner in the Eurofighter consortium as well as in the missile systems provider MBDA . Airbus Helicopters , formerly known as Eurocopter, is a helicopter manufacturing and support company. The 10 largest shareholder of Airbus in early 2024 were: The corporate management of Airbus is: Airbus has several final assembly lines for different models and markets. These are: Airbus, however, has
6300-450: Was agreed between British Aerospace chairman Richard Evans and DASA CEO Jürgen Schrempp in December 1998. GEC was also under pressure to participate in defence industry consolidation. Reporting the appointment of George Simpson as GEC managing director in 1996, The Independent had said "some analysts believe that Mr Simpson's inside knowledge of BAe, a long-rumoured GEC bid target, was
6384-489: Was also seen as a potential partner in a three-way merger with BAe and DASA. In December 1998, reports emerged that GEC was seeking a partner for MES, the value of which was greatly increased by the Tracor acquisition. Prospective partners included Thomson-CSF (by 1998 on the path to privatisation) and various American defence contractors (e.g. Lockheed Martin and TRW ). GEC had already been active in pursuing consolidation in
6468-465: 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,
6552-509: Was chosen. This font was retained in the logos of Airbus Group NV (2014–2015) and Airbus Group SE (2015–2017), then Airbus SE: The Airbus product line started with the A300 in 1972, the world's first wide-body , twinjet aircraft. The aircraft greatly benefited from the 1976 introduction of the ETOPS 90 rule, which allowed twinjet aircraft to operate up to 90 minutes (increased from 60 minutes) away from
6636-581: Was developed for European NATO members, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey, and the UK, as an alternative to relying on foreign aircraft. During development, the A400M programme faced delays and cost overruns; with customer nations stepping in offer additional subsidies. The first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in 2013, and by 2023, more than 100 aircraft had been built. The Defence and Space division also market and assembles
6720-567: Was facing bankruptcy. In September 2011, Simpson was forced to resign from Marconi and a new management team was brought in under Mike Parton, the new chief executive. Shares that had been worth £12.50 at GEC's peak had fallen to £0.04. Lord Weinstock's own stake, once worth £480 million, was reduced to £2 million. On 19 May 2003, Marconi plc underwent a restructuring and became Marconi Corporation plc , advised by Lazard and Morgan Stanley . Marconi shareholders received one Marconi Corporation share for every 559 Marconi shares. In
6804-666: Was formed in January 2014 as part of the group restructuring from the former EADS divisions Airbus Military , Astrium , and Cassidian (composed of Cassidian Electronics – develops and manufactures sensors, radars, avionics and electronic warfare systems for military and security applications, Cassidian Air Systems – develops manned and unmanned aerial systems (UAVs), mission avionics, electronic defence and warning systems and Cassidian Systems – provides global security systems such as command & control, lead system integration, TETRA and TETRAPOL communication systems for public safety, industry, transportation and defence. This line of business
6888-510: Was manufactured from 1981-1998. Building on its success with the A300, Airbus worked to develop a narrow-body aircraft along with additional wide-body aircraft based on the A300. The narrow-body efforts led to the launch of the A320 in 1987, which was and continues to be a major commercial success. The A320 was the first commercial jet to use a digital fly-by-wire control system. All Airbus aircraft developed since then have cockpit systems similar to
6972-453: Was reportedly purchased by the Russian state-owned Vneshtorgbank , bringing its share to nearly 6 %. In December 2007, Vneshtorgbank sold EADS shares to another state-controlled bank, Vnesheconombank . EADS shares were to be delivered by Vneshekonombank to the charter capital of JSC United Aircraft Corporation in 2008. On 3 October 2006, shortly after EADS admitted further delays in
7056-408: Was the first one in the world to begin field tests with TETRA Enhanced Data Service (TEDS). The Airbus Military division, which manufactured tanker, transport and mission aircraft; Airbus Helicopters , the world's largest helicopter supplier; Astrium , provided systems for aerial, land, naval and civilian security applications including Ariane , Galileo and Cassidian . Through Cassidian, EADS
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