BAeSEMA
Encyclopedia
BAeSEMA was a naval technology joint venture between British Aerospace
and the French Sema Group
. The company was formed in 1991 and dissolved in November 1998 when BAe purchased SEMA's 50% share.
BAeSEMA acquired Dowty-Sema in 1992, another naval systems joint venture between Dowty Group and Sema.
BAeSEMA's major competitor in the UK naval systems market was GEC-Marconi
through its Ferranti Naval Systems
and Plessey Naval Systems
businesses.
On November 11, 1998 BAe acquired Sema's interest in the company for £77 million and merged it into British Aerospace Defence Ltd. BAe's naval capabilities increased dramatically in the next year, its acquisition of Marconi Electronic Systems
to form BAE Systems
saw it take control of Marconi Marine's shipyards; VSEL (Barrow-in-Furness), Govan
(Glasgow) and YSL (Scotstoun).
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
and the French Sema Group
Sema Group
Sema Group plc was an Anglo-French IT services company. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by Schlumberger in 2001.-History:...
. The company was formed in 1991 and dissolved in November 1998 when BAe purchased SEMA's 50% share.
BAeSEMA acquired Dowty-Sema in 1992, another naval systems joint venture between Dowty Group and Sema.
Capabilities
- Naval combat management systems
- Type 23 frigateType 23 frigateThe Type 23 frigate is a class of frigate built for the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. All the ships were first named after British Dukes, thus the class is also known as the Duke class. The first Type 23 was commissioned in 1989, and the sixteenth, was launched in May 2000 and commissioned in...
– command and control system - Vanguard-classVanguard class submarineThe Vanguard class are the Royal Navy's current nuclear ballistic missile submarines , each armed with up to 16 Trident II Submarine-launched ballistic missiles...
ballistic missile submarineBallistic missile submarineA ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles .-Description:Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident...
– command and control system
- Type 23 frigate
- Warship prime contracting
- HMS ScottHMS Scott (H131)HMS Scott is an ocean survey vessel of the Royal Navy, and the only vessel of her class. She is the third Royal Navy ship to carry the name, and the second to be named after the Antarctic explorer, Robert Falcon Scott. She was ordered to replace the survey ship HMS Hecla.-Construction:She was...
Ocean Survey Vessel – (building subcontracted to Appledore ShipbuildersAppledore Shipbuilders-History:The Appledore Yard was founded in 1855 on the estuary of the River Torridge. The Richmond Dry Dock was built in 1856 by William Yeo and named after Richmond Bay in Prince Edward Island, where the Yeo family's shipping fleet was based....
)
- HMS Scott
- Communications
- IT
History
From BAe's perspective BAeSEMA was an attempt to increase its capabilities as a naval prime contractor. This was not entirely successful for two reasons:- A customer was more likely to choose a prime contractor with shipbuilding experience and capabilities.
- Another shipbuilder was unwilling to team with the company because as prime contractor BAeSEMA would effectively control that shipbuilder.
BAeSEMA's major competitor in the UK naval systems market was GEC-Marconi
Marconi Electronic Systems
Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...
through its Ferranti Naval Systems
Ferranti
Ferranti or Ferranti International plc was a UK electrical engineering and equipment firm that operated for over a century from 1885 until it went bankrupt in 1993. Known primarily for defence electronics, the Company was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but ceased trading in 1993.The...
and Plessey Naval Systems
Plessey
The Plessey Company plc was a British-based international electronics, defence and telecommunications company. It originated in 1917, growing and diversifying into electronics. It expanded after the second world war by acquisition of companies and formed overseas companies...
businesses.
On November 11, 1998 BAe acquired Sema's interest in the company for £77 million and merged it into British Aerospace Defence Ltd. BAe's naval capabilities increased dramatically in the next year, its acquisition of Marconi Electronic Systems
Marconi Electronic Systems
Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...
to form BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
saw it take control of Marconi Marine's shipyards; VSEL (Barrow-in-Furness), Govan
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
(Glasgow) and YSL (Scotstoun).