- United Defense
Infobox Defunct Company
company_name = United Defense Industries
company_
fate = Acquired byBAE Systems
foundation = January 1994
defunct =June 24 2005
location = Arlington,Virginia
successor =BAE Systems Land and Armaments United Defense Industries was a
United States defense contractor which is now part ofBAE Systems Land and Armaments . This company producescombat vehicle s,artillery ,naval gun s, missile launchers and precision munitions.History
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 duringWorld War II . Bowen McLaughlin York (later the BMY division ofHarsco Corporation ) also began building tanks around this time and airplanes.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. " [http://www.fas.org/man/gao/ns96080.htm Defense Contractor Restructuring] ". www.fas.org. Retrieved
May 22 ,2006 ]In September 2000, UDI purchased Bofors Weapon Systems AB of Sweden, subsequently renamed Bofors Defence.
UDI was subject to a takeover bid by rival
General Dynamics in 1997 but instead chose a (lower) 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
On
March 7 2005 UK-based defence contractorBAE Systems announced it was to acquire UDI for $3.974 billion (£2.1 billion). This followed expressions of interest from companies includingNorthrop 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 onJune 24 2005 and announced plans to merge the company with its existing land systems businesses to formBAE Systems Land and Armaments .Products
United Defense products include:
* Advance Gun System (AGS) for next generationUnited States Navy surface combatants
* CAESAR advanced artillery system
*M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle
*M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle
* M8 Buford Armored Gun System
* M88 Hercules Armored recovery vehicle
* M109 Paladin
*M113 Family
* Crusader
* Mk41 Vertical Launching System (VLS)
* Bofors Defence
* Mark 45 5 inch / 54 caliber and 62 caliber lightweight naval gun
**155 mm Field Howitzer
**Ammunition
**Guns and turretsExternal links
* [http://www.uniteddefense.com/ United Defense Industries website]
* [http://www.baesystems.com/ BAE Systems website]
*IPO from CNN Money: [http://money.cnn.com/2001/12/13/ipo/ipo_price/ United Defense raises $400M]
*BBC News : [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4324733.stm BAE Systems to buy US rival UDI]
* [http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050418006246&newsLang=en businesswire.com: CFIUS Approval for Proposed Acquisition by BAE Systems]References
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