Cobham plc

Cobham plc

Type	Public
Traded as	LSE: COB
Industry	Aerospace & Defence
Founded	1934
Headquarters	Wimborne Minster, England, UK
Key people	John Devaney, Chairman (from May 2010) Andy Stevens, CEO
Revenue	£1,902.6 million (2010)[1]
Operating income	£230.1 million (2010)[1]
Net income	£152.8 million (2010)[1]
Website	www.cobham.com

Cobham plc (LSE: COB) is a British manufacturing company based in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. As of early 2011, Cobham ranks 33rd on Flight International's list of the Top 100 Top aerospace firms, 35th on the Defense News list of Top 100 defense contractors, and 98th on Washington Technology's list of Top 100 US government contractors.^[2]

History

• 1934: Cobham was founded as Flight Refuelling Limited (FRL) by Sir Alan Cobham^[3] at RAF Ford in Sussex.
• Shortly after the outbreak of World War II: FRL moved to Tarrant Rushton in Dorset.
• 1948: FRL was the first contractor to join the Berlin airlift.^[3]
• 1949: FRL developed the 'probe and drogue' method of air-to-air refuelling.^[3]
• 1970s: FRL transferred its aerial operations to Hurn Airport.^[4]
• 1996: ML Aviation took over Nash & Thompson, a major competitor.^[5]
• September 1997: Cobham bought ML Aviation.^[6]
• 2008: Cobham purchases S-TEC Corporation, maker of general aviation autopilots for $38 million.^[7]
• February 2008: Cobham bought the sensor and antenna systems division of BAE Systems for $240 million.^[8]
• June 2008 Cobham acquired Sparta Inc., a US defence business, for $416 million.^[9] It was renamed Cobham Analytic Solutions.
• September 2008: Cobham completed the purchase of the radio frequency components business of M/A-COM for $425 million.^[10]
• Early 2009, National Jet Systems renamed itself as Cobham (known as Cobham Aviation Services Australia or CAvSA) in line with a global Cobham rebranding initiative by its parent company Cobham plc.
• April 2009: Cobham agreed to purchase Argotek Inc., a provider of high-end information assurance services to the United States Intelligence Community, for $36 million.^[11]
• June 2009: A Cobham - Northrop Grumman 50-50 joint venture won the U.S. Army's US$2.4 billion competition to supply Vehicular Intercom Systems.^[12]
• October 2011: Cobham Analytic Solutions sold for $350 million to the privately owned Parsons Corporation.^[13]

Operations

Cobham is organised into four core technology divisions: Mission Systems, Defence Systems, Avionics and Surveillance, and Aviation Services.

The Cobham Mission Systems Division claims to be the world market leader in aerial refuelling^[14], and provides a comprehensive range of weapons carriage and release equipment. Cobham Mission Systems also specialises in life support and personal survival equipment for aviators and astronauts.

The Cobham Defence Systems Division specialises in radar, communication and electronic warfare systems, and claims to be the world leader in advanced tactical military vehicle intercom systems.^[15]

The Cobham Avionics and Surveillance Division provides a range of electronic products for airborne, marine and land applications. Included in the product base are fully certified Electronic Flight Instrument Systems (EFIS), air and land Search and Rescue devices, and state of the art surveillance equipment.

The Cobham Aviation Services Division operates more than 150 fixed and rotary wing aircraft around the world. It specialises in the conversion and support of a wide range of civil and military aircraft, and through an FB Heliservices consortium with Bristow Helicopters at the UK's Defence Helicopter Flying School trains all UK helicopter pilots for the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and British Army.

Products: breathing apparatus

Carleton Life Support was founded in 1951 by Bendix Aviation. Its headquarters is at Davenport, Iowa. It is now part of Cobham plc's Life Support Division. It makes or made:

• Scuba diving rebreathers, intended largely for armed forces use, including:
  • Siva (rebreather)
  • Viper (rebreather)
  • Carleton CDBA (= Clearance Diver's Breathing Apparatus), intended for use by naval work divers. It is not the same as the Siebe Gorman CDBA.
• Aircraft pilot's oxygen breathing systems: see oxygen mask#Oxygen masks for aviators
• NBC suits

Queen's Awards for Enterprise

• 2009: Cobham Surveillance, based in Segensworth, Hampshire, England, received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category. The business – formerly known as Domo Ltd - tripled its export sales in three years.^[16]
• 2010: Cobham Surveillance, based in Segensworth, Hampshire, received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category. The award was for the development of its Solo4 wireless digital audio and video link technology that improves safety for bomb disposal teams and law enforcement personnel by increasing the range at which they can effectively operate their robotic bomb disposal equipment.^[17]
• 2010: Cobham Antenna Systems, based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category. The business – formerly known as Chelton Ltd - continuously increased export revenues over six years and sells over 80% of its production overseas.^[17]

Sports club

The company created Cobham Sports and Social Club, a members' club in Merley, near the main manufacturing site in Wimborne, Dorset.

See also

• Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom
• Cobham Aviation Services Australia
• Sargent Fletcher
• Cobham Technical Services - ERA Technology Ltd

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Annual Report 2010
2. ^ Washington Technology
3. ^ ^{a b c} Cobham: Our heritage
4. ^ Valley of the Avon
5. ^ ML Aviation
6. ^ UK Business Park
7. ^ Flying Magazine. Feb 2008. 
8. ^ Cobham buys BAE Systems Division The Engineer, 25 February 2008
9. ^ Cobham to purchase Sparta for $416m RF Globalnet, 16 January 2008
10. ^ Tyco Electronics Announces Agreement to Sell Its RF Components and Subsystem Business To Cobham Plc Tyco Press Release, 13 May 2008
11. ^ Cobham Reaches Agreement To Acquire US National Security Company For US$36.25 Million Cobham Press Release, 6 Apr 2009
12. ^ U.S. Army Selects Northrop Grumman, Cobham Team To Provide VIS-X Vehicular Intercom Systems Cobham News Release, 29 June 2009
13. ^ COBHAM AGREES DIVESTMENT OF ANALYTIC SOLUTIONS BUSINESS FOR US$350M
14. ^ About Cobham - Mission Systems
15. ^ Cobham Awarded US$40m Contract for Digital Vehicle Intercom Systems
16. ^ COBHAM’S EXPORT SALES GROWTH RECOGNISED WITH QUEEN’S AWARD
17. ^ ^{a b} Cobham Businesses Honoured in Queen’s Awards for Enterprise

External links

• Official site
• 75th anniversary
• Yahoo profile
• A 1950 Flight Refuelling Limited advert
• A picture of a Flight Refuelling Lancaster refuelling another using the early looped-hose method
• "Gas Station In The Sky" 1947 article on FLR's first in-flight refueling system
• "F.R. Equipment Speeds Refuelling!" a 1951 advert for Flight Refuelling's pressure refuelling system as used on the de Havilland Comet

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