BAE Systems covers a wide range of products and projects. Few of them, however, are anything that the ordinary consumer would ever buy. BAE products are mostly intended for the defence procurement of nation states, and to a lesser extent, the huge budgets of airlines such as British Airways.
BAE undertakes both large, capital-intensive projects such as the manufacture of the ‘Future Carrier’ (intended to replace Britain’s current ‘Invincible’ class of aircraft carrier) and smaller-scale, more intricate work - such as the development and manufacture of thermal imaging and radar equipment. Undoubtedly, however, and despite the rather beguiling ‘civilian applications’ section on their website, the majority of their production goes directly into military applications.
The Avionics department of BAE deals with the more intricate and small-scale projects, covering areas such as radar, weapon guidance systems, satellite communications technology, thermal imaging, and electronic warfare. All of these smaller products come into use in BAE’s own range of military vehicles.
On the sea, BAE is a member of the 'Carrier Alliance' and will play a leading role in the ‘Future Carriers’ programme (HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are due to enter service in 2014 and 2016 respectively) , and firm acceptance of its Type 45 Anti-Air Destroyers (the first of which, HMS Daring, will be operational in 2009) . It also has a virtual monopoly on Royal Navy shipping contracts.
In ground warfare BAE has less of a presence, concentrating its capital intensive projects where they can benefit its manufacturing concerns (i.e. its shipyards). It is working on several projects for land based military application, however, including the Lancer recon vehicle, the description of which provides a prime example of BAE’s corporate-speak. As they put it; "'Consequently, all the key functional areas of the LANCER fully integrated demonstrator vehicle feature the latest, de-risked emerging technologies applicable to future land systems environment solutions:....A highly lethal 40mm calibre weapon using unique cased telescoped ammunition and advanced fire control’".
BAE also has products dedicated to 'Delivering effective, custom built, innovative solutions to address the full range of Homeland Security issues'.
This page was last edited on 10 July 2016, at 09:18.