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BAE Systems
 
What we do in the UK

 
Carrier manufacturing

UK Manufacturing

BAE Systems is the UK’s largest manufacturing employer and is also the UK’s biggest employer of professional engineers. With the help of experience gained from decades of producing state-of-the-art defence equipment and technological firsts, our talented engineers continue to work on some of the most advanced engineering projects in the world.

Key manufacturing programmes

Typhoon manufacturing
Typhoon manufacturing

Typhoon
Typhoon is the world's most advanced new generation multi-role/swing-role combat aircraft available, flexible enough to carry out a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-surface mission profiles from peace support through to high intensity conflict. The Typhoon been developed by four of the world's leading aerospace companies, with BAE Systems responsible for the production of the front fuselage, foreplanes, windscreen and canopy, as well as the final assembly of all UK Typhoons. The design, development and manufacture of Typhoon sustains more than 100,000 jobs in 400 companies across Europe and is currently in service with airforces in the UK, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria.

The Queen Elizabeth (QE) Class Aircraft Carriers
The Queen Elizabeth (QE) Class Aircraft Carriers will be the two biggest warships ever constructed in the UK, each providing our armed forces with a four acre military operating base, which can be deployed anywhere in the world. BAE Systems is leading an Alliance to deliver the two QE Class aircraft carriers, designing and constructing huge sections of the ships in dry docks up and down the country, as well as its sophisticated mission system and high tech radar technology.  

Astute Class Submarine
BAE Systems is designing and building the Astute Class Submarines, which will equip the UK Royal Navy with its largest and most powerful fleet of seven attack submarines, each one packed with cutting edge state-of-the-art technology. Each Astute is 97m long and will displace 7,400 tonnes of seawater. Armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the submarines are able to strike at targets up to 1,000km from the coast with pinpoint accuracy and are designed to remain undetected, thousands of mile from home, and hundreds of metres under the sea. The Royal Navy is already operating the first boat in the Class, HMS Astute.

F-35 Lightning II
Cutting edge in every respect, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is a stealthy, multi-role, all-weather attack aircraft that can operate from land and sea. BAE Systems is teamed with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to deliver the F-35 Lightning II and is in charge of developing the aircraft’s aft fuselage and empennage (vertical and horizontal tails) as well as leading on the static and fatigue testing. More than 3,000 aircraft are planned for future production and by 2016 the programme is expected to generate one aircraft per day for use by the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.

Type 45 Destroyer
The Type 45 Destroyer protects forces against the strongest of threats from enemy aircraft and missiles. Highly versatile, it can conduct operations, including anti-piracy and anti-smuggling, disaster-relief and surveillance, as well as high intensity war fighting. BAE Systems is leading the design, development, integration and delivery of six destroyers that will provide the backbone of the UK Royal Navy, protecting national, allied and coalition forces against enemy aircraft and missiles. With the first four vessels already completed, BAE Systems is on track to deliver all six ships to the UK Royal Navy by the end of 2013.


Facts and figures

Astute manufacturing
Astute manufacturing
  • The UK turnover of BAE Systems  in 2012 was £8.2 billion
  • In 2012 the direct value added to the UK economy of BAE Systems was £3.5billion
  • Employment in the UK in 2012 stood at 33,000 the majority (69%) of those employed were in highly skilled engineering and engineering-related roles
  • Our labour productivity is significantly higher than the UK national average  - 2.46 times the national average
  • BAE Systems  generated £3.4 billion in exports in 2012 (around 1.14% of all UK exports)
     

We are evolving...

Female apprentice
female apprentice

The priorities of our armed forces are constantly evolving and it is our priority to continue to meet their needs. We still build platforms, but we are also increasing our on-base support and in-operation maintenance. Providing support to our platforms throughout their entire lifecycle allows us to reduce costs and save time for our armed forces.


More information

Multimedia Tile

  • How the Devonshire Dock Hall could look
  • How the Barrow site central yard could look in the future
  • How the Barrow site central yard could look in the future 2
  • Combat Systems
  • Public debut, Farnborough, September 1986.
  • Clean aircraft configuration tests in the Warton 9ftx7ft wind tunnel.
  • EAP starboard wing in the assembly jig at the BAe Samlesbury site
  • Utilities management system integration and software development rig, 7 hangar Warton.
  • Final assembly systems build testing in 2 hangar, Warton.
  • A celebration for the 100th EAP flight at Paris. Dave Ward 4th from the left.
  • Experimental Aircraft Programme in-flight.
  • Experimental Aircraft Programme in-flight.
  • Radar cross section measurements at Warton after completion of the flight test programme.
  • Experimental Aircraft Programme in-flight.
  • EAP taking to the skies with Hawks, Harriers and Tornados. Copyright: Geoffrey Lee
  • EAP taking to the skies with the Red Arrows.
  • EAP.
  • Experimental Aircraft Programme in-flight.
  • Experimental Aircraft Programme in-flight.
  • The EAP ‘Roll-out’ ceremony in 302 hangar at Warton on 16th April 1986.
  • First flight at Warton, 8th August 1986.
  • The forward end construction of the fifth Astute class submarine, Anson, lining up alongside her sisters, Artful and Audacious
  • The German Air Force takes delivery of the 400th aircraft during special ceremony at Cassidian’s Military Air Systems Center in Manching, Southern Germany.
  • Left to right: Joanna and Pav
  • The EAP at its new home at the RAF Museum in Cosford, Shropshire.
  • Apprentices Josh Procter and Mike Cormish
  • Our Typhoon Full Scale Replica at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • Our Typhoon Full Scale Replica at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • Flight Lieutenant Jamie Norris takes to the skies in a Typhoon at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • Flight Lieutenant Jamie Norris takes to the skies in a Typhoon at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • Two Typhoon jets and a Hawk AJT arrive at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • Visitors watch as Flight Lieutenant Jamie Norris takes to the skies in a Typhoon at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • Visitors at the Typhoon Full Scale Replica by our Pavilion at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • Flight Lieutenant Jamie Norris takes to the skies in a Typhoon at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • Flight Lieutenant Jamie Norris performs his display in Typhoon at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • UK Prime Minister David Cameron talks to Flight Lieutenant Jamie Norris by the Typhoon Full Scale Replica at our stand at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • The Red Arrows by the Typhoon Full Scale Replica at Dubai Airshow 2013.
  • First Tranche 3 Typhoon undergoes engine ground runs
  • Paul Rowe and Graham Hicks
  • Bottle smashes to celebrate naming of Artful
  • Artful
  • Artful's Crew
  • Local school children cheer for Artful
  • Admiral Sir George Zambellas and Lady Zambellas