BAE Systems Military Air & Information
 | |
| Division | |
| Industry |
Defence Aeronautics |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Warton Aerodrome, Preston, Lancashire |
Key people | Chris Boardman, Managing Director |
| Products | Military Aircraft and Aerospace systems |
| Parent | BAE Systems |
BAE Systems Military Air & Information (MAI, formerly Military Air Solutions (MAS)) is a business unit of British defence company BAE Systems responsible for the design, development, manufacture and support of fixed wing military aircraft. MAI customers include the Royal Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Force, US Navy and Indian Air Force.
History
MAI was formed on 1 January 2011 through a merger of the Air Systems and CS&S Military Air Solutions & Support (MASS) business units. The unit through its products and operating bases encompasses nearly a hundred years of industrial history. MAI direct ancestors include the English Electric Company, De Havilland, British Aircraft Corporation, Avro, Blackburn Aircraft, Hawker Siddeley and the Bristol Aeroplane Company.
Some of the products that have been produced by MAI's predecessors include the Avro Vulcan, English Electric Lightning, Hawker Hunter, English Electric Canberra, Blackburn Buccaneer and the ill fated TSR-2. In recognition a Lightning fighter and Canberra bomber serve as gate guardians at MAI's Samlesbury site where both were manufactured.
Sites
- Warton Aerodrome, Lancashire - Warton is the headquarters of MAI and home to the central assembly facility for the Eurofighter Typhoon, Hawk configuration and to the upgrades for Harrier and the Panavia Tornado. The divisions major testing facilities and commercial offices are based there.
- Samlesbury Aerodrome, Lancashire - Samlesbury, situated between Blackburn and Preston, is home to the production facilities for the Typhoon front fuselage and T-45 Goshawk as well as home to BAE's F-35 Lightning II manufacturing operations. Sections for Airbus are also subcontracted to the site. The site unlike many other MAI sites does not have an operational runway. The runway closed in the 1980s and is used today by Lancashire Police for training as well as the Air Training Corps for Glider training.
- Brough Aerodrome, Yorkshire - Brough near to Hull is home to Hawk production and assembly before the aircraft is sent to Warton to be configured. In January 2008 the runway at Brough reopened with a Hawk 128 the first aircraft to take off in nearly a decade.
- Woodford Aerodrome, Greater Manchester - Woodford near Manchester was home to the conversion of the Nimrod MR2 to MRA4 standard, the site is currently in the closing down phase.
- Chadderton, Greater Manchester - Chadderton near Manchester is a former manufacturing facility (Historically as Avro) but the site continued as a major office centre for the company until it closed in 2012.
- Preston, Lancashire - Several of the unit's central functional offices are located in Strand Road area of the city as well as the Apprentice training centre.
- Robin Hood Airport, South Yorkshire - The companies Aircraft Maintenance Training Centre is located at the airport.
The firm also has a major presence on many RAF stations; notably RAF Coningsby and RAF Marham.
Products
Aircraft
- Eurofighter Typhoon - BAE Systems has a 33% share in Eurofighter GmbH along with Alenia and EADS's Spanish and German divisions. MAI is responsible for the production of all RAF and Saudi aircraft as well as designing and producing all front fuselages for the programme.
- Nimrod MRA4 - MAI is rebuilding the Nimrod aircraft to the upgraded MRA4 service for the Royal Air Force. (MRA4 cancelled in 2010.)
- Panavia Tornado - MAI predessor British Aerospace manufactured all RAF and Saudi aircraft and MAI continues to offer support to these air forces.
- Panavia Tornado ADV - MAI predessor British Aerospace manufactured all RAF and Saudi aircraft and MAI continues to offer support to these air forces.
- BAE Harrier II - Originally developed and manufactured at Dunsfold and Kingston the business unit today provides support and upgrades to the aircraft.
- BAE Hawk - The Hawk trainer is manufactured at Brough and has been produced for numerous armed forces around the globe including the RAF, RAAF, RCAF and South African Air Force.
- T-45 Goshawk - A naval development of the Hawk aircraft manufactured with Boeing for the US Navy
Aircraft projects
UAVs and drones
- Advanced Systems and Future Capability (AS&FC)
External links
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