BAE Systems Land & Armaments

BAE Systems Land & Armaments is a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems Plc. and is responsible for the design, development and production of combat vehicles, ammunition, artillery systems, naval guns and missile launchers. It is the largest such company in the world. It was created on June 24, 2005, following the completion of BAE Systems plc's acquisition of United Defense and its merger with BAE Systems Land Systems. In 2007 BAE Systems acquired Armor Holdings adding to the size of Land & Armaments significantly.

History

Until April 2003 BAE Systems was a relatively small player in the land systems industry, however following the 2004 purchase of Alvis Vickers, the 2004 acquisition of United Defense and the acquisition of Armor Holdings in 2007 it is now the largest land systems defence contractor.

BAE Systems was formed in 1989 by the merger of British Aerospace (BAe) and Marconi Electronic Systems (MES). BAe's land systems business was RO Defence, a major manufacturer of explosives, ammunition and small arms. MES owned Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, manufacturer of the M777 howitzer.