Editing BAE Systems (section)

===Predecessors===
[[File:Spitfire VII Langley USA.jpg|thumb|[[Supermarine]], the manufacturer of the [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]], was a predecessor company of BAE Systems. It was purchased by [[Vickers-Armstrongs]], which itself was merged into the [[British Aircraft Corporation]] in 1960.]]
[[British Aerospace]] bought [[Marconi Electronic Systems]] for £7.7&nbsp;billion on 30 November 1999 and merged with it to form BAE Systems.<ref name="scotsman2000">{{Cite news |first=Andrew|last=Turpin |title= BAE eyes US targets after profit rockets |work=The Scotsman |location=UK |publisher=The Scotsman Publications |page=26 |date= 4 March 2000}}</ref> The company is the successor to many of the most famous British aircraft, defence electronics and warship manufacturers. Predecessor companies built the [[de Havilland Comet|Comet]], the world's first commercial jet airliner; the [[Hawker Siddeley Harrier|Harrier]] "jump jet", the world's first operational [[V/STOL|vertical/short take-off and landing]] (VTOL) aircraft; the "groundbreaking"<ref>{{Cite news |first=James|last=Dow |title=Edinburgh's first line of defence |url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/business.cfm?id=840772004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040815131803/http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/business.cfm?id=840772004 |archive-date=15 August 2004|work=The Scotsman |location=UK |date=23 July 2004 |access-date=26 September 2007}}</ref> Blue Vixen radar carried by [[BAE Sea Harrier#Specifications (Sea Harrier FA.2)|Sea Harrier FA2s]] and which formed the basis of the Eurofighter's [[Euroradar CAPTOR|CAPTOR]] radar; and co-produced the [[Concorde]] supersonic airliner with [[Aérospatiale]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heritageconcorde.com/who-built-concorde|title=Who Built Concorde?|publisher=Heritage Concorde|access-date=25 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225211920/https://www.heritageconcorde.com/who-built-concorde|archive-date=25 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

British Aerospace was a civil and [[military aircraft]] manufacturer, as well as a provider of military land systems. The company had emerged from the massive consolidation of UK aircraft manufacturers since World War II. British Aerospace was formed on 29 April 1977, by the nationalisation and merger of the [[British Aircraft Corporation]] (BAC), the [[Hawker Siddeley|Hawker Siddeley Group]] and [[Scottish Aviation]].<ref name="compcomm"/> Both BAC and Hawker Siddeley were themselves the result of various mergers and acquisitions.<ref name="lineage">{{cite web |url=http://production.investis.com/heritage/storage/lineage/?t=lineage |title=The BAE Systems Lineage |access-date=13 September 2007 |work=BAE Systems Heritage |publisher=BAE Systems plc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421093532/http://production.investis.com/heritage/storage/lineage/?t=lineage |archive-date=21 April 2008 |url-status=live}} (Click on Air tab.)</ref><!-- Citation based on "Air" section of this url, requires "Air" tab to be clicked, unfortunately no way of automating this in link -->

Marconi Electronic Systems was the defence subsidiary of British engineering firm the [[General Electric Company]] (GEC), dealing largely in military [[system integrator|systems integration]], as well as naval and land systems. Marconi's heritage dates back to [[Guglielmo Marconi]]'s Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company, founded in 1897.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://production.investis.com/heritage/nonflash/timeline/1874_guglielmo_marconi/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421093519/http://production.investis.com/heritage/nonflash/timeline/1874_guglielmo_marconi/ |archive-date=21 April 2008 |title=1874 Guglielmo Marconi |access-date=13 September 2007 |work=BAE Systems Heritage |publisher=BAE Systems plc}}</ref> GEC purchased [[English Electric]] (which included Marconi) in 1968 and thereafter used the Marconi brand for its defence businesses (as GEC-Marconi and later Marconi Electronic Systems). GEC's own defence heritage dates back to World War I, when its contribution to the war effort included radios and bulbs. World War II consolidated this position, as the company was involved in important technological advances, notably the [[cavity magnetron]] for [[radar]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.connected-earth.com/Galleries/Prideofownership/Economicfactors/Anewindustry/index.htm |title=A new industry |access-date=12 September 2007 |work=connected-earth.com |quote=during the Second World War it developed the cavity magnetron for radar |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070503152859/http://www.connected-earth.com/Galleries/Prideofownership/Economicfactors/Anewindustry/index.htm |archive-date= 3 May 2007}}</ref> Between 1945 and 1999, GEC-Marconi/Marconi Electronic Systems became one of the world's most important [[defence contractor]]s. GEC's major defence related acquisitions included [[Associated Electrical Industries]] in 1967,<ref name="cc">{{cite web |url=http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1989/fulltext/250c2.pdf |title=The companies involved, and the merger situations |access-date=13 September 2007 |year=1989 |publisher=Competition Commission|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070926044921/http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1989/fulltext/250c2.pdf |archive-date= 26 September 2007 |url-status= usurped}}</ref> [[Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited|Yarrow Shipbuilders]] in 1985,<ref name="cc"/> [[Plessey]] companies in 1989,<ref name="plesseyferranti">{{Cite news |first=Chris |last=Leadbeater |title=A marriage of convenience 'GEC and Siemens propose to create a major new European partnership. The acquisition of Plessey ... will be the springboard for further substantial expansion together.' |work=Financial Times |date=3 July 1990}}</ref> parts of [[Ferranti]]'s defence business in 1990,<ref name="plesseyferranti"/> the rump of Ferranti when it went into receivership in 1993/1994, [[Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering]] in 1995<ref>{{Cite news |first=Roger |last=Cowe |title=Weinstock's £1bn finale |work=The Guardian |location=UK |publisher=Guardian Newspapers |date=4 July 1999}}</ref> and [[Kvaerner Govan|Kværner Govan]] in 1999.<ref>{{cite news |title=Deal reached on shipyard future |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/563784.stm |work=BBC News |date=14 December 1999 |access-date=13 September 2007}}</ref> In June 1998, MES acquired [[Tracor]], a major American defence contractor, for £830&nbsp;million (about US$1.4&nbsp;billion).<ref>{{Cite news |title= GEC Completes Tracor Acquisition|url= http://business.highbeam.com/436978/article-1G1-50118227/gec-completes-tracor-acquisition|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151017061110/http://business.highbeam.com/436978/article-1G1-50118227/gec-completes-tracor-acquisition|url-status= dead|archive-date= 17 October 2015|work= Defense Week|date= 29 June 1998|access-date= 29 June 2015}}</ref>