United Defense

United Defense Industries (UDI) was an American defense contractor which became part of BAE Systems Land & Armaments after being acquired by BAE Systems in 2005. The company produced combat vehicles, artillery, naval guns, missile launchers and precision munitions.

History

Evolution of the BAE Systems Land and Armaments division

The company started as a division of the agricultural machine business, Food Machinery Corporation (FMC), when they won a US Federal Government contract to build the Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) and became a weapon manufacturer during World War II. Bowen McLaughlin York (BMY), 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

In 1997 UDI was subject to a takeover bids by rival General Dynamics and The Carlyle Group. It chose the lowest bid from private equity firm The Carlyle Group, which floated the company in 2001 but retained a share of the company.^{[clarification needed]}

BAE Systems acquisition

On March 7, 2005 United Kingdom -based defence contractor BAE Systems announced it was to acquire UDI for US$3.974 billion (£2.1 billion). This followed expressions of interest from companies including Northrop Grumman.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Products

United Defense products included:^{[citation needed]}

• Advanced Gun System (AGS) for next generation United States Navy surface combatants
• Future Combat Systems Manned Ground Vehicles family of light armored ground vehicles
• M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle
• M3 Bradley Cavalry fighting vehicle
• M8 Armored Gun System, U.S. Army light tank canceled in 1996
• M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle
• M109 Paladin
• M113 family
• Mobile Tactical Vehicle Light, a vehicle based on the M113 proposed for the U.S. Army Interim Armored Vehicle program
• Crusader
• Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS)
• 5-54 Mark 45 and 62 caliber lightweight naval gun
• Anti-aircraft gun L60

References

External links

• United Defense Industries website
• BAE Systems website
• IPO from CNN Money: United Defense raises $400M
• BBC News: BAE Systems to buy US rival UDI
• businesswire.com: CFIUS Approval for Proposed Acquisition by BAE Systems

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