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Cobham has been developing its electronics capabilities since
building components under licence in the 1960s. Today electronics
capabilities now represent some 70% of Cobham's activity.
The company's first acquisition Chelton in 1989, enjoyed a
leading position in both military and civil markets in the UK and
had a toehold in the massive US market.
In the first Gulf War, the problems of command, control,
communication and intelligence (C3I) common to every conflict
throughout history met the fourth 'C' - computers. But while
"smart" weapons produced riveting video of pinpoint strikes for
news services at home, armoured vehicle commanders were unable to
communicate effectively with their own crews through the din of
battle for want of a headset intercom.
Officers promoted after the Gulf War were determined to ensure
that, in future, every unit in the air, in space, at sea or on the
ground would be part of a networked information environment,
collecting and sharing data for maximum efficiency. The concept of
the digital battlefield was born.
Cobham saw an opportunity to lead this field by building a group
of businesses, which could together offer high technology products
through to complete subsystems.
Acquisition of businesses such as microwave components
manufacturer Atlantic Microwave in 1994 and antenna manufacturer
H&W in 1995 prefaced a steady stream of purchases. Businesses
such as antenna specialists Continental and Nurad, and Kevlin,
specialist in the rotary joints that allow power and data to pass
between rotating systems such as radar antennas and their
stationary mountings, were later joined by renowned microwave
integrated circuit maker REMEC Defense & Space, electronic
warfare specialists Sensors and Antennas Lansdale and in 2008,
microwave circuit technology company M/A-COM.
With the acquisition of US-based SPARTA Inc., earlier in 2008,
Cobham added a world-class modelling and simulation arm as well as
cyber capabilities.
Cobham also acquired highly respected aerospace brands such as
intercom specialist Northern Airborne Technology, and radio
manufacturer Wulfsberg and moved further into the satellite
communications market with ACR Electronics, Sea-Tel and Patriot
Antennas.
The company's European operations expanded with a parallel
acquisition trail that soon made Cobham a strategic supplier of
antennas and radio management systems to Airbus and antennas for
Eurocopter helicopters, military vehicles and satellites. Cobham is
now a key supplier on major air, land, marine and space programmes
such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen fighter aircraft,
B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter
and specialist surveillance and reconnaissance platforms such as
J-STARS and Airborne Warning and Control.
Cobham components, sub systems and systems are at the heart of
the US Navy's Aegis shipboard radar and on every Global Hawk
Unmanned Aerial System. On the land, armoured vehicle crews no
longer have to communicate with taps and shouts - the Cobham
Defence Communications AN/VIC3 intercom, now in use in armoured
vehicles in Iraq, has been credited with saving the hearing and
often the lives, of crewmembers through muffling the effect of
noise and providing clear communication even in the heat of
battle.
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In 2008 Cobham's SATCOM On The Move and Quick
Deploy Satellite Earth Station systems provided vital
communications for disaster relief authorities after the Sichuan
earthquake killed more than 68,000 people.
Cobham's microwave components are part of the
radar, self protection and communications systems on many of the
world's military aircraft.
Cobham has provided more than 30,000
communication antennas for the US armed forces.
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