Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd

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Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd (VSEL) is based at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Now BAE Systems Submarines, the company has built large naval vessels, nuclear submarines and armaments.

1 History
- 1.1 Shipbuilding timeline of the Vickers name
2 Modern Warships built by VSEL
3 Land warfare

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History

Image:Barrow in Furness - Cumbria dot.png The Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977 saw Vickers Shipbuilding nationalized and incorporated into British Shipbuilders. Vickers was the first shipyard of this group to return to the private sector. This occurred in 1986, after it acquired Cammell Laird. Cammel-Laird was later closed in 1993.

In 1994 VSEL was subject to two takeover proposals, one from GEC and another from British Aerospace (BAe). VSEL was willing to participate in a merger with a larger company to reduce its exposure to cycles in warship production, particularly following the "Options for Change" defence review following the end of the Cold War.

Both bids were referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) which issued its conclusions and advice to government in May 1995. BAe's bid was approved, while the MMC concluded (with 2 of 22 members dissenting) that GEC's bid was likely to "operate against the public interest". However it was GEC's bid that was approved and accepted by VSEL. In many ways it was British Aerospace who was the most likely partner, with extensive capabilites in naval systems (see BAeSEMA), but no shipbuilding capabilties of its own. GEC already owned Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd (YSL) as well the naval systems businesses of Plessey and Ferranti.

Following GEC's purchase VSEL became Marconi Marine (VSEL), part of the company's GEC-Marconi division. With the merger of British Aerospace and GEC's defence business, Marconi Electronic Systems, VSEL passed to the resulting company, BAE Systems.

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Shipbuilding timeline of the Vickers name

1897: Vickers & Sons bought The Barrow Shipbuilding Company Ltd and Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunitions Company to become 'Vickers Sons and Maxim Limited'
1911: Name change of the company to Vickers Limited
1927: after merger with Armstrongs, Vickers Armstrongs Limited
1955: the shipbuilding side was called Vickers Armstrongs Shipbuilders & Vickers Armstrongs Engineers
1968: Name change to Vickers Limited Shipbuilding Group
1977: Vickers shipbuilding was nationalised as the Vickers Shipbuilding Group, a member Company of British Shipbuilders, by 1981 it was Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering Limited, still nationalised.
1986 Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd as a subsidiary of British Shipbuilders. From 1986 known as VSEL
1995: Marconi Marine (VSEL) as a subsidiary of GEC-Marconi.
1999: BAE Systems Marine (VSEL) as a subsidiary of BAE Systems.