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United Defense

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United Defense Industries
FoundedJanuary 1994
DefunctJune 24, 2005
FateAcquired by BAE Systems
SuccessorBAE Systems Land and Armaments
HeadquartersArlington, Virginia

United Defense Industries (UNI) was a United States defense contractor which is now part of BAE Systems Land and Armaments. This company produced combat vehicles, artillery, naval guns, missile launchers and precision munitions.

History

Evolution of the land systems division of BAE Systems, 1970s to Land & Armaments formation

The company started as a division of the agricultural machine business, Food Machinery Corporation (FMC), when they won a US government contract to build LVTs and became a weapon manufacturer during World War II. Bowen McLaughlin York, which became the BMY division of Harsco Corporation, soon added aircraft and tanks to its growing munitions capability, further adding to the firm's diversified economic success and defense specialization.

Following a massive decline in orders for tracked combat vehicles between 1983 and 1994 FMC and the Harsco Corporation agreed in January 1994 to combine their defense businesses to form United Defense. The new company owned the former FMC California-based Ground Systems Division and Harsco's Pennsylvania-based BMY Combat Systems Division. The new company restructured its operations to concentrate final assembly and testing to Pennsylvania. [1]

In September 2000, UDI purchased Bofors Weapon Systems AB of Sweden, subsequently renamed Bofors Defence.

In 1997 UDI was subject to a takeover bids by rival General Dynamics and Carlyle Group. It chose the (lowest) bid from private equity firm The Carlyle Group. The Carlyle Group floated the company in 2001 but retained a share of the company.

BAE Systems acquisition

Main article: BAE Systems Land and Armaments

On March 7, 2005 UK-based defence contractor BAE Systems announced it was to acquire UDI for $3.974 billion (£2.1 billion). This followed expressions of interest from companies including Northrop Grumman.

BAE Systems' bid was referred to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to ensure there were no national security implications of the sale. The CFIUS granted approval of the deal in April 2005. BAE completed its acquisition of United Defense on June 24, 2005 and announced plans to merge the company with its existing land systems businesses to form BAE Systems Land and Armaments.

Products

United Defense products include:

References

  1. ^ "Defense Contractor Restructuring". www.fas.org. Retrieved May 22, 2006
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