BAE Systems

BAE Systems plc

Formerly	British Aerospace Limited (1979–1981) British Aerospace Public Limited Company (1981–2000)[1]
Company type	Public
Traded as	LSE: BA. FTSE 100 Component
Industry	Aerospace, defence and information security
Predecessors	British Aerospace Marconi Electronic Systems
Founded	30 November 1999; 24 years ago (1999-11-30)
Headquarters	London, England, UK
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Cressida Hogg (chair) Charles Woodburn (CEO)
Revenue	£23.078 billion (2023)
Operating income	£2.573 billion (2023)
Net income	£1.940 billion (2023)
Total assets	£32.064 billion (2023)
Total equity	£10.723 billion (2023)
Number of employees	93,000 (2024)
Divisions	See below
Subsidiaries	BAE Systems Inc. BAE Systems Australia BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
Website	baesystems.com
Footnotes / references [2][3]

BAE Systems plc is a British multinational aerospace, defence and information security company, based in London, England.^[4][5] It is the biggest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017.^[6] It is the largest defence contractor in Europe^[7] and the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues.^[8] Its largest operations are in the United Kingdom and in the United States, where its BAE Systems Inc. subsidiary is one of the six largest suppliers to the US Department of Defense. Its next biggest markets are Saudi Arabia, then Australia; other major markets include Canada, Japan,^[9][10] India, Turkey, Qatar, Oman and Sweden.^[2] The company was formed on 30 November 1999 by the £7.7 billion purchase of and merger of Marconi Electronic Systems (MES), the defence electronics and naval shipbuilding subsidiary of the General Electric Company plc (GEC), with British Aerospace, an aircraft, munitions and naval systems manufacturer.

BAE is the successor to various aircraft, shipbuilding, armoured vehicle, armaments and defence electronics companies, including the Marconi Company, the first commercial company devoted to the development and use of radio; A.V. Roe and Company, one of the world's first aircraft companies; de Havilland, manufacturer of the Comet, the world's first commercial jet airliner; Hawker Siddeley, manufacturer of the Harrier, the world's first VTOL attack aircraft; British Aircraft Corporation, co-manufacturer of the Concorde supersonic transport; Supermarine, manufacturer of the Spitfire; Yarrow Shipbuilders, builder of the Royal Navy's first destroyers; Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, builder of the world's first battlecruiser; and Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering, builder of the Royal Navy's first submarines.

Since its 1999 formation, BAE has made a number of acquisitions, most notably of United Defense and Armor Holdings of the United States, and has sold its shares in Airbus, Astrium, AMS and Atlas Elektronik. It is involved in several major defence projects, including the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Astute-class submarine, and the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. BAE Systems is listed on the London Stock Exchange's FTSE 100 Index.