TankNutDave

Alvis had been a manufacturer of cars and military vehicles, until 1965 when it was bought by Rover. It ended its manufacturing of cars and concentrated on the production of military vehicles in 1967. Both it and Rover became part of Leyland who then went on to sell Alvis to United Scientific Holdings plc for £27 million in 1981 who were manufactures of military sighting equipment. The company re-named it self Alvis plc in 1992. Alvis went on to buy the armoured vehicle business of GKN Sankey who had been manufacturing the Warrior MCV in 1998, who then became a shareholder of 29.9% of Alvis (these shares were purchased by BAE systems in 2003). In 2002 Alvis purchased Vickers Defence Systems and was renamed Alvis Vickers. in 2004 the new company was purchased by BAE systems and the old ROF Leeds factory was closed.

AKA the ANAD is a subordinate of the U.S. Armies Tank automotive and Armaments Command. Based in Anniston, Alabama in the US, construction of the site and it's 2100 buildings began in 1941 and now covers an area of over 25 sq miles with the primary mission of repairing all tracked vehicles for the US Army with the exception of the M2 Bradley, and whilst the production of the M1 (A2) ended in 1996, the ANAD is the Centre of Technical Excellence for the M1 Abrams MBT and carries out the responsibility of repairing and up-dating the US Armies fleet of M1's. In a 6-month operation, the hull and turret are separated and are striped completely to their raw elements. Everything mechanical including the engine, is over hauled, re-machined or replaced and sent via rail to the Joint Systems Manufacturing Centre in Lima, Ohio for re-assembly. The ANAD also has other functions including supporting the Industrial Operations Command and the Aviation and Missile Command by maintaining and storing conventional ammunition and missiles, as well as the storage of chemical munitions, whilst supporting a wide range of similar operations for the U.S. Navy and Air Force.

BAE Systems plc is a British defence company, formed in 1999 by the £7.7 billion merging of two British companies, it now has world wide subsidiary companies and is the world's third largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe. One of these subsidiary companies was called BAE Systems RO defence, and had been formed when British Aerospace (BAE Systems plc's name prior to its formation in 1999) bought Royal Ordnance plc in 1987, and allowed it to retain its name Royal Ordnance for many years until 2004 when BAE Systems plc acquired Alvis Vickers and merged it with BAE Systems RO defence to form a new subsidiary company called BAE Systems Land Systems. In 2005 BAE Systems plc, acquired the US company United Defence Industries and merged it with BAE Systems Land Systems, and was re-named BAE Systems Land and Armaments. It manufacturers a number of vehicles including the Challenger 2.

This Division was a part of the American Chrysler Corporation. Its Delaware Defence plant and Detroit tank plant had been designing and manufacturing the US Patton MBT series (M48 & M60) since the 1950's. The company also designed the M1 Abrams (and built it's prototypes) and the ROKA K1. General Dynamics bought out Chrysler Defence in 1982, re-naming the division - General Dynamics Land Systems.

GDLS is a division of General Dynamics who have been heavily involved in aviation and maritime operations. It developed and manufactured the F-16 fighter, making it one of the most successful western military projects since WWII, with over 4000 F-16's produced. The company went through a number of take over and sales of other companies. Such takeovers saw the purchase of Chrysler Defence Division in 1982, creating the division General Dynamics Land Systems who went on to purchase the General Motors defence divisions. In 2003 the company purchased GM defence and the MOWAG company. GDLS manufacturers the M1 Abrams, Stryker and LAV-25. GDLS now run the Joint Systems Manufacturing Centre (AKA Lima Army Tank Plant) in Lima, Ohio. The facility not only manufacturers the M1 Abrams MBT but also re-assembles M1 Abrams that are refurbished by the ANAD.

The former GM Defence was the military vehicle division of the General Motors Corporation. It was estabilished in 1950. It produced a number of wheeled military vehicles including the LAV-25. GM Defence was purchased by GDLS in 2003.

Set up in 1973, it was founded on the merging of a number of industries and in 1991 was nationalized into a French Government-owned corporation, operating under private law. Despite producing a number of good weapons, it struggled to make a profit. It had concentrated on the development and production of the Leclerc MBT, which the French Army had had an input into and were expecting to order 1400, but only ordered 406 (Excluding armoured recovery vehicles). The company fell from the second to the fifth largest international producer of land armaments. After completion of the final deliveries of Leclerc MBT's to the French Army, 70% of the GIAT workload was lost. It eventually restructured it self into a new French Government-owned corporation called Nexter in September 2006.

GKN Sankey was a British manufacturer of screws and fittings. During the 1960's it went through a program of diversification, buying or investing in new businesses. One of these was it creating its own armoured vehicle business. In 1980 it won the contract to build the Warrior MCV for the British Army. The armoured vehicle business was sold on to Alvis Vickers in 1998.

Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries are British maritime company working on ship construction and marine engineering. During WWII it manufactured ships for the Royal Navy and also manufactured tanks, artillery and bombers for the Royal Air-Force, it also designed the Churchill Infantry Tank, which was manufactured by Vauxhall Motors.

Henschel & Son are a German manufacturer of trains, trucks and buses. Early in 1935 the company started manufacturing the Panzer I and then went on to manufacture the Panzer III and went on to be the main manufacturer of the Tiger I during World War II, employing 8000 workers in a 24hr operation, who were mostly slave labour.

The Hyundai group is a South Korean company made up of a number of companies, the most commonly known is Hyundai Motor Company. One of these companies was previously known as Hyundai Precision and manufactured the ROKA's K1 MBT, which was originally designed by the former US Chrysler Defence. Hyundai Precision was re-named Hyundai Rotem in late 2007 and is still responsible for the production of the K1 series. It also manufactures trains and will be manufacturing the new K2 Black Panther MBT.

 

The Corp has been the backbone of the mechanised forces of the IDF since its creation way back in 1948 when it was called the Ordnance Service and in 1953 was re-named the Ordnance Corps. It has been responsible for the numerous up-grades and adaptations of Armoured Fighting Vehicles, such as the Patton tanks to the Magach and Centurion to the Sho't. Through out the numerous Arab conflicts the IDF has been involved in, the Corp has rescued and recovered their own and enemy AFV's, restoring them to their own configuration/variant. The Corp was also involved with development of its own Merkava MBT. Whilst other Israeli companies manufacture the parts of the Merkava, its final assembly is completed by the Corps and on average is able to assemble 10 Merkava's a month. The Corps is responsible for the development and maintenance of war materials, combat-support materials, and other military systems.

This German company was created in 1931 after purchasing first Munich locomotive factory. Krauss-Maffei manufactured trains and still does. It moved into manufacturing military vehicles during the 1930's such as the half-track of which it produced 6000. It then went on to develop and manufacture the highly successful Leopard I & Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank's. In 1999 Krauss-Maffei & Wegmann merged into one company, named Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and continued to produce the Pzh 2000. The company has also developed the new PUMA Special IFV, soon to replace the Marder 1 IFV.

When it was created in 1896, it was called the Lancashire Steam Motor Company and was based in the Northern town of Leyland in England. In 1907 the company bought out Coulthards and was re-named Leyland Motors LTD and in 1920 it manufactured its first car, the Leyland 8 and continued manufacturing cars up to World War II, where it switched to manufacturing military vehicles, notably the Cruiser class (Mk VIII) Cromwell. It returned to manufacturing cars after WWII but went on to manufacture the Centurion MBT (as did ROF Leeds). The company went on to form partnerships with other companies, experienced financial difficulty, was nationalised and re-named The Rover Group. It no longer has any interests in building tracked Armoured Fighting Vehicles.

The former Lockheed Corporation was more commonly known for its Aircraft and aerospace manufacturing. In 1995 the company merged with Martin Marietta, another aerospace manufacturer forming Lockhead Martin. Based in Bethesda, Maryland USA, the company manufactures the M270 MLRS and is also involved in manufacturing and conversion of missiles fired by the M270 MLRS as well as the FGM-148 Javelin ATM.

As of 2008, the German company is now 250 years old. It is more famous now a days for its trucks and lorries. Its modern name MAN, is an abbreviation of Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg AG. The company was formed in 1898 by the merging of Maschinenbau-AG Nürnberg and Maschinenfabrik Augsburg AG. The company enjoyed international success with sales of its vehicles and marina engines in the 1920's & 30's. During World War II the company designed the Panther medium tank and went on to be its principal manufacturer through out the war. The company still enjoys a successful production of engineering equipment and Commercial vehicles. In 2006 it expanded its business by buying a large percentage of shares of the Swedish Scania AB Company.

Founded in 1950, this Swiss company was originally called Mowag Motorwagenfabrik AG. It specialises in the development and production of specialised vehicles, including military ones. Its most famous vehicle has to be the Piranha, which is available in 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8. The company was purchased by GDLS in 2003, but still maintains its company name and head offices/manufacturing facilities in Kreuzlingen Switzerland.

Nexter is a French Government-owned corporation formally known as GIAT Industries. Founded in September 2006, it got off to a good start, with an order book of 780 million Euros in 2006 (thank to an order of 155mm CAESAR Self-propelled Howitzers). However the order book for 2007 was less at 495 million Euros. It's currently manufacturing the CAESAR Self-propelled Howitzers and planning to start deliveries in the second half of 2008.

The Royal Ordnance Factories dated back to the 1800's with the creation of the gunpowder and small arms factories. They were named The Royal Ordnance in 1805 so they came under the same state owned umbrella in and around London in Great Britain. By the First World War, the ROF's were operated by the Minister of Munitions to co-ordinate the manufacturing and distribution of munitions for the war, when in 1927 it's control was transferred to the Department of the Master-General of the Ordnance. As tensions grew in Europe through the 30's at the build up to WWII, the ROF's were increased in number to over 40, each responsible for different munitions & weapons, employing nearly 300 000.

By 1985 there number had shrunk to 12 and became a public company re-named Royal Ordnance plc so it could be sold. ROF Leeds, who manufactured tanks such as Challenger 1 was sold for £15 200 000 to Vickers PLC as a separate business, including its staff such as designers and shop floor staff, as well as its designs and patents. The two companies were merged and re-named as Vickers Defence Systems.

The Food Machinery Corporation was a US agricultural machinery manufacturer who was awarded a contract to build LVT's (Landing Vehicle Tracked) during World War II. Harsco Corporation was also involved in manufacturing of military vehicles. With low numbers of orders, FMC and the Harsco Corporation decided to combine their defence businesses to form United Defence in 1994. In 2005 BAE Systems plc, acquired the US company United Defence Industries and merged it with BAE Systems Land Systems, and was re-named BAE Systems Land and Armaments.

Based in the city of Nizhny Tagil in West Russia, this huge factory was built in 1931and was completed in 1936. It was one of the many manufacturing plants built during Stalin’s Five-Year Plan and was originally manufacturing trains. During World War II the factory was merged with the tank Dzerzhinsky Works and was re-named Stalin Ural Tank Factory No. 183 and became the worlds biggest tank manufacturer during World War II, including production of the T-34. After the War the factory went on to contribute to the development and manufactured a number of MBT's including the T-55, T-62, T-72 and T-90.

Vickers PLC had been a British Engineering company, with interests in aviation, shipping and car-manufacturing. In 1986 it moved into military vehicle production by buying the former state owned and run Royal Ordnance Factory in Leeds (AKA ROF Leeds), who had developed the Challenger 1 and was re-named Vickers Defence Systems. It went on to design and build the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank. Vickers PLC was bought by Rolls-Royce plc in 1999 and in 2002 sold Vickers Defence Systems to Alvis PLC and it was renamed Alvis Vickers.

Wegmann is a former German military vehicle manufacturer who developed the Pzh 2000 Artillery System. The company murged with Krauss-Maffei in 1999 to form Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

This state owned company was founded (unofficially) in 1933 and is based in the city of Ramat HaSharon. It primarily produces firearms and manufacturers munitions, for the IDF and NATO countries such as the US. It's most famous products are the Uzi & Desert Eagle. It also provides up-grade programs for Armoured Fighting Vehicles such armour packages, mobility and firepower. One of their most recent projects has been the Sabra. It also produces combat support vehicles such as mine clearing & Armoured Vehicle Launching Bridges. They also provide national security training for Israeli civilians.

This German manufacturer of commercial engines was formed by Maybach automobiles in the early 20th century and was bought by Daimler-Benz in 1960. They were already manufacturing diesel & aircraft engines, so merged their current operation with the newly purchased company to form MTU Friedrichshafen. Daimlar-Benz bought out Chrysler in 1998 forming the company DaimlerChrysler AG. The company then bought out Detroit Diesel's in 2000. Both Detroit Diesel & MTU Friedrichshafen were merged to form DaimlerChrysler Power-systems division. In 2006 the division was sold to EQT and the division was part of the Tognum AG company who is now owned by Daimler AG, the new owners of the DaimlerChrysler AG company. MTU have manufactured engines for AFV's such as the Pzh 2000 Artillery System, Leopard 2, K1, Merkava & Sabra.

In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, leased the Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale which eventuslly evolved into Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co Ltd, which became Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd in 1934. It was the largest private firm in Japan, manufacturing ships, heavy machinery, airplanes, and railroad cars. After World War 2, MHI was divided into three entities: West Japan Heavy-Industries, Ltd., Central Japan Heavy-Industries, Ltd. and East Japan Heavy-Industries, Ltd. It was re-consolidated in 1964 and reborn as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

In 1970, MHI's automobile department became independent and Mitsubishi Motors began manufacturing and marketing automobiles. Its now the main manufactuer of miliatry vehicles and munitions in Japan, including the Type 90 MBT.

Iis one of Asia's largest defence contractors and a leading aerospace manufacturer, headquartered in New Delhi, India. It was formed in 1958 by the merger of Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production with the Defence Science Organisation.

DRDO has a network of 51 laboratories which are deeply engaged in developing defence technologies covering various disciplines, like aeronautics, armaments, electronic and computer sciences, human resource development, life sciences, materials, missiles, combat vehicles development and naval research and development. The organization includes more than 5,000 scientists and about 25,000 other scientific, technical and supporting personnel.