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.

History

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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 capabilities in naval systems (see BAeSEMA), but no shipbuilding capabilities 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.

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.

Modern Warships built by VSEL

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Image:Vanguard class image.jpg|Vanguard-class of four Trident ballistic missile submarines Image:Trafalgar class submarine.JPG|Trafalgar-class of seven nuclear attack submarines Image:HMS Manchester (D95) Type 42 destroyer.jpg|HMS Manchester, one of three Type 42 destroyers built by VSEL. Image:HMCS Windsor SSK 877.jpg|HMCS Windsor, Victoria-class attack submarine

• Submarines
  • Vanguard-class Trident SSBNs
  • Astute-class SSNs
  • Swiftsure-class SSNs
  • Trafalgar-class SSNs
  • Victoria-class SSKs

• Surface Combatants
  • HMS Invincible
  • Albion-class LPDs
  • 3 Type 42-class destroyers for the Royal Navy plus one for the Argentine Navy
  • HMS Ocean - VSEL won contract but Ocean built at Kvaerner Govan. Fitted with military equipment at VSEL's Barrow yard.

Land warfare

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• M777 Lightweight Howitzer
• AS-90 AS 90 Feild Howitzer

Defence companies of the United Kingdom | Defunct companies of the United Kingdom | Shipbuilding companies of the United Kingdom