State of play20 Feb 2012 10:19
......I dont think Bae Systems stupid name....Vickers would be a more appropriate name....with its century old defence history ie air, land and sea defence....Rolls Royce own the brand but dont use it....Wonderful art deco style V flanked by fler de le feathers....Problem with Bae is its too industry facing....needs sharper public facing branding like its other British aerospace peer Rolls Royce....Next Bae (Vickers) needs to focus on aerospace....pulling out of Airbus...cost GKN and the UK 800 jobs to Korea recently....146 100 seat airliner and Hawk business aircraft were discontinued....Dassualt still make a very successful rival to the Hawk....while Britain lost 3000 jobs with Woodford factory closure I might add....Finally....the four nation Typhoon....cant defeat....the one nation French Dassault Refeal....on cost in India....200 Typhoons....vs....110 Rafeals currently in service...How can this be?....Bae(Vickers) have £3billion net cash...should have taken a leave out of Rolls Royce book....selling aircraft at cost....with profitable long term service contracts attatched....The loss of the India contract....hands rival Dassualt 36 Brazilian....and 60 UAE fighter aircraft orders on a plate....because the scale of the order, conpatibility and profitable service agreements....will make it far easier for Dassualt to undercut Bae (VIckers) in future....Bloody disasterous for Britain....Bae managers(more like British Leyland fat cats of old) have let this country down bad....In fact they are a joke....NATIONAL DISGRACE...Reg