BAE Systems
Compare BAE Systems…UK's largest defense company. Astute + Dreadnought (UK SSN/SSBN) submarine builder, Type 26 frigate, Eurofighter Typhoon partner, Tempest/GCAP partner, AMPV, CV90, M777 howitzer.
SectorsDefense
Register for a premium account to gain access to Sterling AI.
Get StartedThings you can ask Sterling:
BAE SystemsUK's largest defense company. Astute + Dreadnought (UK SSN/SSBN) submarine builder, Type 26 frigate, Eurofighter Typhoon partner, Tempest/GCAP partner, AMPV, CV90, M777 howitzer.
FY 2020-FY 2025 plan
| Class + Hull | Status | Expected Delivery / IOC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astute SSN: HMS Astute | Commissioned 2010 | In service | |
| Astute SSN: HMS Ambush | Commissioned 2013 | In service | |
| Astute SSN: HMS Artful | Commissioned 2016 | In service | |
| Astute SSN: HMS Audacious | Commissioned 2020 | In service | |
| Astute SSN: HMS Anson | Commissioned 2022 | In service | |
| Astute SSN: HMS Agamemnon | Sea trials 2024 | Expected commissioning 2025 | |
| Astute SSN: HMS Agincourt | Final hull; under construction at Barrow | Expected delivery 2026-2027 | |
| Dreadnought SSBN: HMS Dreadnought | Under construction at Barrow | Expected commissioning early 2030s | |
| Dreadnought SSBN: HMS Valiant | Construction begun 2019 | Expected commissioning mid-2030s | |
| Dreadnought SSBN: HMS Warspite | Under construction | Expected commissioning mid-2030s | |
| Dreadnought SSBN: HMS King George VI | Construction begun 2022 | Expected commissioning late-2030s | |
| Type 26 (UK): HMS Glasgow + Cardiff + Belfast | First three hulls under construction at Govan + Scotstoun | Glasgow expected 2026-2027; later hulls 2028+ | |
| Type 26 (UK): HMS Birmingham + Sheffield + Newcastle + Edinburgh + London | Subsequent five hulls under contract | Deliveries through ~2035 | |
| Type 26 derivatives (export) | Australia Hunter-class (9 hulls); Canada CSC (15 hulls; design-share) | First Australian hull early 2030s; Canadian builds following | |
| Editorial. Why this matters | Strategic context | BAE Maritime UK is the sole prime for all three UK strategic naval programs + the design authority for the Type 26 export variants in Australia + Canada. The Type 26 design-share model is the marquee UK shipbuilding export of the 2020s. Marquee question: does combined shipbuilding revenue cross £6B by FY2027 as Type 26 deliveries scale alongside Astute + Dreadnought continuing? |
$BAESF
UK's largest defense company. £26.3B FY2024 revenue (~$33B). Astute + Dreadnought (UK SSN/SSBN) submarine builder, Type 26 frigate, Eurofighter Typhoon partner, Tempest/GCAP partner, AMPV (Army), CV90, M777 howitzer. £77B backlog. Acquired Ball Aerospace Feb 2024 for $5.55B (US space).
Key Milestones
Heritage: British Aerospace (BAe) formed via UK Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act, nationalizing BAC, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics, Scottish Aviation
Al Yamamah arms deal signed with Saudi Arabia worth £43B+ over decades: UK's largest export deal; Tornado, Hawk, Typhoon platforms; controversies over BAE corruption probes (SFO halts 2006)
BAE Systems formed via merger of British Aerospace + GEC's Marconi Electronic Systems; £7.7B deal; UK national champion in defense electronics, integrated with combat air, naval, land
BAE Systems formally selected as F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Tier 1 partner: supplies aft fuselage and tail assemblies for all F-35 variants; ~15% workshare per aircraft
Acquires United Defense Industries for $4.2B: gains Bradley IFV, M88 ARV, AAV-7, M109 SPH; transforms BAE into major US defense prime via BAE Systems Land & Armaments
Astute-class SSN HMS Astute commissioned; first of 7 nuclear hunter-killers (£1.6B/boat); built at Barrow with Rolls-Royce reactor; Royal Navy's most capable submarine class
First Type 26 City-class frigate (HMS Glasgow) keel laid at Govan; design also won by Australia (Hunter, A$45B) + Canada (River, CA$60B+): global frigate design franchise
Australia selects Hunter-class (Type 26 derivative) frigate over FREMM and F-100; A$45B program; 9 hulls; ASC Shipbuilding becomes BAE subsidiary in Adelaide
Canada selects River-class (Type 26 derivative) Canadian Surface Combatant; CA$60B+ program; 15 hulls: Lockheed Martin Canada prime contractor with BAE design
Dreadnought-class SSBN steel cut for HMS Dreadnought; Britain's strategic nuclear deterrent replacement (4 boats); £31B program enters production phase
Wins US Army's Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV/Beowulf) prime contract worth ~$278M; BvS10/Beowulf platforms: 110 vehicles initially with options to 163
GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme) formed: UK-Italy-Japan 6th-gen fighter; merges UK Tempest with Japan F-X; Edgewing JV (BAE+MHI+Leonardo) replaces national programs
Announces $5.55B all-cash Ball Aerospace acquisition; major US space ISR + defense electronics expansion; transformative deal for US presence
Ball Aerospace acquisition closes; renamed BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems; ~$2B annual revenue addition; weather satellites + DoD classified ISR + components
Eurofighter Tranche 5 contract finalized for Royal Saudi Air Force; ~£10B for 24 additional Typhoons; UK reverses Dec 2023 Saudi block over Yemen war policy reset
AUKUS Pillar I: Submarine Industrial Base Strategy finalized; SSN-AUKUS design lead shared with Electric Boat; production preparation at Barrow
Backlog reaches £77B record; CV90 + Boxer + Eurofighter + Type 26 + Dreadnought drive 12% revenue growth; UK SDR confirms £75B nuclear pipeline
AMPV (Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle) full-rate production approved; replaces M113 across US Army; potential 2,900+ vehicles long-term
GCAP first prototype build initiated at Warton UK; flight test target 2027: accelerated from original 2030 schedule under joint UK-IT-JP funding boost
