BAE Systems Avionics has a rich heritage which dates back to 1909 when the
Elliott and
Marconi companies began to fit aircraft with systems (beginning with embryonic air to ground communications). By 1913 Elliot's avionics product lines advanced to
gyroscopes, weapon sights and
altimeters.
Timeline • 1804 - William Elliott establishes a company manufacturing scientific and surveying instruments. • 1853 - Company renamed
Elliott Brothers. • 1897 -
Guglielmo Marconi founds his company. • 1909 - Elliott Brothers and Marconi companies both begin to fit avionics to early aircraft. • 1946 - Marconi is acquired by
English Electric. • 1967 - English Electric and
Elliott Automation merge. • 1968 - The new English Electric group is acquired by
GEC. • 1969 - GEC renames avionics business
Marconi-Elliott Avionics Systems Limited, part of the company's defence arm,
GEC-Marconi. • 1978 - Renamed
Marconi Avionics Limited. • 1984 - Renamed
GEC Avionics Limited. • 1990 - Take-over of
Ferranti creating
GEC Ferranti • 1998 - Renamed
Marconi Avionics, part of the renamed defence arm,
Marconi Electronic Systems (MES). • 1999 - MES merged with
British Aerospace to form BAE Systems. Avionics business becomes
BAE Systems Avionics. • 2005 - Parts of BAE Systems Avionics merged with Galileo Avionica to form
SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems. • 2008 - SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems is re-branded
SELEX Galileo. • 2013 - SELEX Galileo merged with
SELEX Sistemi Integrati and Selex Elsag to form
Selex ES. • 2016 - Selex ES activities became part of
Leonardo’s land and naval defence electronics division ==References==