Ford Aerospace

Spacecraft Reconfigurable Multibeam Antenna Feed Network (model), Ford Aerospace & Communications Corporation, March 1986

Ford Aerospace & Communications Corp. was the aerospace and defense business of Ford Motor Company. It consisted of (at least) the Space Systems Division (later Space Systems/Loral) and the Western Development Labs (WDL) (later Loral WDL, and presently Lockheed Martin WDL).

Partial company timeline

• 1956 Aeronutronic becomes Ford Motor Company division.
• 1961 Ford Motor Company acquires Philco Corporation, later named Philco-Ford Corporation.
• 1963 Ford Motor Company folds Aeronutronic into Philco, strengthening Ford Motor Company's overall participation in space and defense markets.
• 1975 Philco-Ford becomes Aeronutronic Ford Corporation
• 1976 Aeronutronic Ford Corporation becomes Ford Aerospace & Communications Corporation.
• 1981 FACC starts new sister division to Aeroneutronics in Southern California named DIVAD (Division Air Defense) for the production of the M247 Sgt. York armor tracked vehicle (named in honor of legendary World War I sharpshooter and medal of honor recipient Sergeant Alvin York) which incorporated F-15 search-and-track radar directed twin 40 mm Bofors gun systems in Newport Beach and Lake Forest, CA. Divad division dissolved in 1984 when Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger canceled the production contract and all existing Sgt.York units were dismantled for scrap. (D.V. Barker)
• 1988 Ford Aerospace Milpitas CA location working on Nato Airbase Satcom (NABS) control facilities
• 1990 Ford Aerospace sold to Loral Corporation.

Products

Missiles

• AIM-9 Sidewinder
• Have Dash