Marconi Electronic Systems led the industry as the defense electronics and naval shipbuilding subsidiary of the General Electric Company. British Aerospace led the industry in aircraft and naval systems manufacturing. Together, the companies formed a multinational power team of defense.

On this day, November 30th, in 1999, British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems merged to form Europe’s largest defense contractor, BAE Systems.

The BAE Systems merger was a 7.7 billion pounds deal, and it joined together some of the most famous manufacturers of aircraft and defense technology. Headquartered in London, BAE Systems is the world’s largest military contractor. It also oversees global concerns with its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc., which is particularly concerned with defense in North America.