Flight Refuelling Ltd
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| Public | |
| Traded as | : |
| Industry | Aerospace, defence |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Headquarters | Wimborne Minster, England, UK |
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Key people
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Mike Wareing, Chairman David Lockwood, CEO |
| Revenue | £2,072.0 million (2015) |
| £12.0 million (2015) | |
| £(37.7) million (2015) | |
| Website | www |
Cobham plc is a British manufacturing company based in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England. It is listed on the and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. According to Defense News it is the 51st largest defense firm in the world, and the fifth largest in the UK, based on 2013 revenue.
Cobham was founded as Flight Refuelling Limited (FRL) at RAF Ford in Sussex by Sir Alan Cobham in 1934. It moved to Tarrant Rushton in Dorset in 1947. It developed the 'probe and drogue' method of air-to-air refuelling in 1949 and Michael Cobham took over the leadership of the business from his father in 1969.
In September 1997 it acquired ML Aviation for £37 million, which had taken over Nash & Thompson, a major competitor, the previous year.
In early 2008 Cobham purchased S-TEC Corporation, maker of general aviation autopilots for $38 million, and in February 2008 Cobham bought the sensor and antenna systems division of BAE Systems for $240 million. Then in June 2008 Cobham acquired Sparta Inc., a US defence business, for $416 million (it was renamed Cobham Analytic Solutions). In September 2008 Cobham completed the purchase of the radio frequency components business of M/A-COM for $425 million.
In April 2009 Cobham agreed to purchase Argotek Inc., a provider of high-end information assurance services to the United States Intelligence Community, for $36 million. Then in June 2009 a Cobham – Northrop Grumman 50–50 joint venture won the US Army's US$2.4 billion competition to supply Vehicular Intercom Systems.
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Wikipedia