Latest news with #BAE
North Wales Live
14 hours ago
- Business
- North Wales Live
Liquidators appointed as North Wales firm stops trading after 100 years
Liquidators have been appointed to a North Wales business that has ceased trading. Woollacott Gears Ltd was a 100-year-old business based at Llay Hall Industrial Estate, in Wrexham. They specialised in the production of precision gears and engineering components. The firm was recognised for its high-quality manufacturing, with past clients including BAE and other major industrial names. But Leonard Curtis have now been appointed as liquidators. A statement of affairs shows that their assets are expected to realise just over £70,000. But the company have debts and liabilities of over £350K. Landwood Group is now overseeing the sale of Woollacott's extensive plant and machinery. There are more than 450 lots of precision engineering machinery following the closure. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Jeff Wignall, director at Landwood Group, said: 'It's always sad when a business like Woollacott Gears closes, especially one that's been part of Wrexham's history for more than 100 years. It was a well-respected local firm and it's important the sale reflects that. We're handling it with the care and precision it deserves. 'The auction offers a rare chance to get hold of specialist gear cutting machinery and associated equipment at a fraction of the usual cost. With more than 450 lots available, there's something for every business, whether you're upgrading, expanding or entering the gear manufacturing space for the first time. "Our auctions always attract strong interest and with quality equipment like this in short supply, we're expecting some competitive bidding. It's not one to miss.' The sale includes high-spec CNC gear cutting machines, tooling, and stocks of parts and components, alongside a range of other manufacturing assets. Viewing of all equipment will be available at Llay Hall Industrial Estate, Mold Road, Cefn-y-bedd, Wrexham, LL12 9YG on Wednesday 6 August 2025 from 10am to 4pm. The auction will close from 10am on Monday 11 August 2025. The assets are now live for bidding in an online auction via Bidspotter.
Mint
17-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
BAE Sees ‘Phenomenal Pace' on Next Fighter Jet as Rival Sputters
(Bloomberg) -- BAE Systems Plc said it is speeding ahead with the development of its next-generation Tempest fighter jet, as a rival European program is hamstrung by Franco-German squabbling. The British defense company this week unveiled the design of a demonstrator aircraft, and said that it has already begun manufacturing the main structure, wings and tail for that jet at its site in Lancashire. The milestone puts the test aircraft on track to fly within three years, with the final piloted supersonic plane — the first to be developed in the UK in 40 years — to be delivered by 2035, the firm said. 'The pace of this program is absolutely phenomenal,' Herman Claesen, managing director for Future Combat Air Systems at BAE Systems, told reporters on a video call on Tuesday. 'By following the timeline we are following at the moment, we will be one of first companies to be able to offer the sixth-generation capability into the export market.' The US, China and Russia are also developing sixth-generation aircraft, which are likely to include enhanced stealth, sensor and autonomous capabilities as well as the improved ability to coordinate with other aircraft and drones. London-based BAE is one part of the three-party Global Combat Air Programme, which also includes Italy's Leonardo SpA and Japanese partners. Engine maker Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc and missile company MBDA are helping with the development of the demonstrator in coordination with the UK's Ministry of Defence. BAE's optimistic tone and declarations of 'excellent progress' contrast starkly with the rival German-French-Spanish effort. The two main contractors, France's Dassault Aviation SA and Airbus SE, whose defense business is based outside Munich, are bickering over control of FCAS, also known by its French acronym SCAF, which has put the development of the planned successor aircraft to the Eurofighter at risk. The issue has escalated to the point that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron will seek to quell the squabble at a meeting in Berlin this month. In 2023, Airbus predicted that FCAS will be operational by 2040. When asked about whether it makes sense for Europe to have two competing fighter jet programs, Claesen said GCAP's timelines were much faster at the moment than what they've seen at the Franco-German program, although he was not privy to any details at the rival endeavor. 'We're focused on our program, we're focused on our job, it is up to the governments to decide whether there is enough money in Europe and strategically whether it is important to have two programs or to have one program,' Claesen said. GCAP is being driven by the UK, Italy and Japan. A joint venture to lead the project — recently dubbed Edgewing — has BAE, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. each owning 33.3%. There has been speculation that other countries could join the project, especially Saudi Arabia, which is a key export market for the Eurofighter Typhoon jet. 'We can make anything happen, but the likelihood is diminishing all the time considering the pace we have on the program,' Claesen said of adding new partners, because doing so would have an impact on timing and costs. GCAP has defined five levels of involvement, ranging from the most basic of ordering the plane off the shelf to manufacturing the aircraft in their own country, he said. 'I am pleased to say there's a bit of a queue forming of various nations who want to talk to the three governments' to be involved with the program, Claesen said. --With assistance from Gerry Doyle. More stories like this are available on
The Advertiser
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Weaponised drone developed to counter unmanned threat
BAE Systems says it's developing a new weaponised drone, aiming to offer military customers a lower-cost option for countering unmanned aircraft that have come to dominate the battlefield in Ukraine. Britain's BAE launched its solution to the threat from kamikaze attack drones, which explode when they hit targets, by fitting its Malloy T-150 drone with APKWS laser-guidance kit that fires 70-mm rockets, and used the combination to shoot down another drone in trials. "We've had multiple inquiries from agencies in the US, from agencies in Europe, from the UK," said Anthony Gregory, business development director of BAE Systems' FalconWorks unit. Given the growing military interest as countries see what is happening in Ukraine, and also Iran's deployment of drones against Israel, BAE said it wanted to supply an alternative to Raytheon Technologies Patriot mobile surface-to-air system. "Those type of munitions are probably in four or five figure sums, whereas a Patriot missile, or things that you see being used on the news to do the same thing, are in six figure sums," Gregory said on Wednesday. The weapon system can be removed from the drone within an hour, enabling the drone to be repurposed to supply cargo or to perform reconnaissance. It is already used by the US Marines and Britain's Royal Navy to move equipment between ships at sea, replacing some helicopter lifts. BAE acquired England-based Malloy Aeronautics, a specialist heavy-lift drone company, last year. The trial of the drone with the APKWS kits produced by BAE's US business, and usually found on F-16s and Apache helicopters, took place last month in Utah, Gregory said. Given anticipated demand from Western militaries, BAE said it was aiming to start manufacturing the electric motors that power the drone in Britain, instead of buying them from China. "We're trying to what we would call onshore, or friend shore, all elements in the value chain of the supply chain," Gregory said. BAE Systems says it's developing a new weaponised drone, aiming to offer military customers a lower-cost option for countering unmanned aircraft that have come to dominate the battlefield in Ukraine. Britain's BAE launched its solution to the threat from kamikaze attack drones, which explode when they hit targets, by fitting its Malloy T-150 drone with APKWS laser-guidance kit that fires 70-mm rockets, and used the combination to shoot down another drone in trials. "We've had multiple inquiries from agencies in the US, from agencies in Europe, from the UK," said Anthony Gregory, business development director of BAE Systems' FalconWorks unit. Given the growing military interest as countries see what is happening in Ukraine, and also Iran's deployment of drones against Israel, BAE said it wanted to supply an alternative to Raytheon Technologies Patriot mobile surface-to-air system. "Those type of munitions are probably in four or five figure sums, whereas a Patriot missile, or things that you see being used on the news to do the same thing, are in six figure sums," Gregory said on Wednesday. The weapon system can be removed from the drone within an hour, enabling the drone to be repurposed to supply cargo or to perform reconnaissance. It is already used by the US Marines and Britain's Royal Navy to move equipment between ships at sea, replacing some helicopter lifts. BAE acquired England-based Malloy Aeronautics, a specialist heavy-lift drone company, last year. The trial of the drone with the APKWS kits produced by BAE's US business, and usually found on F-16s and Apache helicopters, took place last month in Utah, Gregory said. Given anticipated demand from Western militaries, BAE said it was aiming to start manufacturing the electric motors that power the drone in Britain, instead of buying them from China. "We're trying to what we would call onshore, or friend shore, all elements in the value chain of the supply chain," Gregory said. BAE Systems says it's developing a new weaponised drone, aiming to offer military customers a lower-cost option for countering unmanned aircraft that have come to dominate the battlefield in Ukraine. Britain's BAE launched its solution to the threat from kamikaze attack drones, which explode when they hit targets, by fitting its Malloy T-150 drone with APKWS laser-guidance kit that fires 70-mm rockets, and used the combination to shoot down another drone in trials. "We've had multiple inquiries from agencies in the US, from agencies in Europe, from the UK," said Anthony Gregory, business development director of BAE Systems' FalconWorks unit. Given the growing military interest as countries see what is happening in Ukraine, and also Iran's deployment of drones against Israel, BAE said it wanted to supply an alternative to Raytheon Technologies Patriot mobile surface-to-air system. "Those type of munitions are probably in four or five figure sums, whereas a Patriot missile, or things that you see being used on the news to do the same thing, are in six figure sums," Gregory said on Wednesday. The weapon system can be removed from the drone within an hour, enabling the drone to be repurposed to supply cargo or to perform reconnaissance. It is already used by the US Marines and Britain's Royal Navy to move equipment between ships at sea, replacing some helicopter lifts. BAE acquired England-based Malloy Aeronautics, a specialist heavy-lift drone company, last year. The trial of the drone with the APKWS kits produced by BAE's US business, and usually found on F-16s and Apache helicopters, took place last month in Utah, Gregory said. Given anticipated demand from Western militaries, BAE said it was aiming to start manufacturing the electric motors that power the drone in Britain, instead of buying them from China. "We're trying to what we would call onshore, or friend shore, all elements in the value chain of the supply chain," Gregory said. BAE Systems says it's developing a new weaponised drone, aiming to offer military customers a lower-cost option for countering unmanned aircraft that have come to dominate the battlefield in Ukraine. Britain's BAE launched its solution to the threat from kamikaze attack drones, which explode when they hit targets, by fitting its Malloy T-150 drone with APKWS laser-guidance kit that fires 70-mm rockets, and used the combination to shoot down another drone in trials. "We've had multiple inquiries from agencies in the US, from agencies in Europe, from the UK," said Anthony Gregory, business development director of BAE Systems' FalconWorks unit. Given the growing military interest as countries see what is happening in Ukraine, and also Iran's deployment of drones against Israel, BAE said it wanted to supply an alternative to Raytheon Technologies Patriot mobile surface-to-air system. "Those type of munitions are probably in four or five figure sums, whereas a Patriot missile, or things that you see being used on the news to do the same thing, are in six figure sums," Gregory said on Wednesday. The weapon system can be removed from the drone within an hour, enabling the drone to be repurposed to supply cargo or to perform reconnaissance. It is already used by the US Marines and Britain's Royal Navy to move equipment between ships at sea, replacing some helicopter lifts. BAE acquired England-based Malloy Aeronautics, a specialist heavy-lift drone company, last year. The trial of the drone with the APKWS kits produced by BAE's US business, and usually found on F-16s and Apache helicopters, took place last month in Utah, Gregory said. Given anticipated demand from Western militaries, BAE said it was aiming to start manufacturing the electric motors that power the drone in Britain, instead of buying them from China. "We're trying to what we would call onshore, or friend shore, all elements in the value chain of the supply chain," Gregory said.
Perth Now
17-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Weaponised drone developed to counter unmanned threat
BAE Systems says it's developing a new weaponised drone, aiming to offer military customers a lower-cost option for countering unmanned aircraft that have come to dominate the battlefield in Ukraine. Britain's BAE launched its solution to the threat from kamikaze attack drones, which explode when they hit targets, by fitting its Malloy T-150 drone with APKWS laser-guidance kit that fires 70-mm rockets, and used the combination to shoot down another drone in trials. "We've had multiple inquiries from agencies in the US, from agencies in Europe, from the UK," said Anthony Gregory, business development director of BAE Systems' FalconWorks unit. Given the growing military interest as countries see what is happening in Ukraine, and also Iran's deployment of drones against Israel, BAE said it wanted to supply an alternative to Raytheon Technologies Patriot mobile surface-to-air system. "Those type of munitions are probably in four or five figure sums, whereas a Patriot missile, or things that you see being used on the news to do the same thing, are in six figure sums," Gregory said on Wednesday. The weapon system can be removed from the drone within an hour, enabling the drone to be repurposed to supply cargo or to perform reconnaissance. It is already used by the US Marines and Britain's Royal Navy to move equipment between ships at sea, replacing some helicopter lifts. BAE acquired England-based Malloy Aeronautics, a specialist heavy-lift drone company, last year. The trial of the drone with the APKWS kits produced by BAE's US business, and usually found on F-16s and Apache helicopters, took place last month in Utah, Gregory said. Given anticipated demand from Western militaries, BAE said it was aiming to start manufacturing the electric motors that power the drone in Britain, instead of buying them from China. "We're trying to what we would call onshore, or friend shore, all elements in the value chain of the supply chain," Gregory said.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BAE Systems develops weaponised drone to counter unmanned threat
By Sarah Young WARTON, England (Reuters) -BAE Systems said on Wednesday it was developing a new weaponised drone, aiming to offer military customers a lower-cost option for countering unmanned aircraft that have come to dominate the battlefield in Ukraine. Britain's BAE launched its solution to the threat from kamikaze attack drones, which explode when they hit targets, by fitting its Malloy T-150 drone with APKWS laser-guidance kit that fires 70-millimeter rockets, and used the combination to shoot down another drone in trials. "We've had multiple inquiries from agencies in the U.S., from agencies in Europe, from the UK," said Anthony Gregory, business development director of BAE Systems' FalconWorks unit. Given the growing military interest as countries see what is happening in Ukraine, and also Iran's deployment of drones against Israel, BAE said it wanted to supply an alternative to Raytheon Technologies Patriot mobile surface-to-air system. "Those type of munitions are probably in four or five figure sums, whereas a Patriot missile, or things that you see being used on the news to do the same thing, are in six figure sums," Gregory said. The weapon system can be removed from the drone within an hour, enabling the drone to be repurposed to supply cargo or to perform reconnaissance. It is already used by the U.S. Marines and Britain's Royal Navy to move equipment between ships at sea, replacing some helicopter lifts. BAE acquired England-based Malloy Aeronautics, a specialist heavy-lift drone company, last year. The trial of the drone with the APKWS kits produced by BAE's U.S. business, and usually found on F-16s and Apache helicopters, took place last month in Utah, Gregory said. Given anticipated demand from Western militaries, BAE said it was aiming to start manufacturing the electric motors that power the drone in Britain, instead of buying them from China. "We're trying to what we would call onshore, or friend shore, all elements in the value chain of the supply chain," Gregory said.
