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Virtual News Room 2003
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| 5 December 2003
BAE SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE 2003 CHAIRMAN’S AWARD FOR INNOVATION BAE Systems announces the winners of the 2003 Chairman’s Award for Innovation. Presented annually, these awards are given to those individuals and teams which have during the year, through innovation, materially aided the company to improve its processes, practices, technologies, and products to achieve the maximum benefit for our customers, employees, and shareholders.Sir Richard Evans, Chairman of the Board, BAE Systems, presented the awards in Manchester, UK last night. He said, “By planning and creating new ideas and new ways of thinking it is outstanding efforts like these that will allow BAE Systems to predict the future by creating it.” Each year entries are submitted from throughout the company world-wide by BAE Systems business units, teams, joint ventures, and other activities. Panels of judges review the entries and from them choose those of most merit. From these, winners are chosen for Silver and Gold awards. Now in its eighth year, 3,000 nominations were submitted, again breaking all previous nomination records, resulting in 46 Silver awards across the three categories of Innovation, Implementation, and Community Awards. From the 46 Silver awards, seven Gold Awards were chosen. The seven winners of the 2003 Gold Chairman’s Awards are: INNOVATION AWARD Advanced Radar Mode of Operation – Avionics, Edinburgh UK This award is for new radar modes of operation that significantly improve the capability of both the existing Foxhunter radar system and the Tornado F3 platform. MoD and company funding was allocated, allowing the team to develop and prove the solution for flight evaluation. The RAF has gained improved performance, enhanced aircraft effectiveness and a cheaper solution. INNOVATION AWARD Archerfish Neutraliser - Underwater Systems, Waterlooville, UK Designed to help clear the seas of a wartime danger and save many lives in the process, the Archerfish Neutraliser is the underwater vehicle of the Archerfish mine disposal system. Each ‘fish’ contains a warhead for mine disposal and is controlled from a remote console. The innovative technology employed by the Archerfish has enabled Underwater Systems to win a £5 million contract with AMNS, with the possibility of further orders totalling around £100 million. INNOVATION AWARD DCAT – Avionics, Edinburgh UK Dry Coupled Acoustic Testing has been designed to improve the performance of underwater acoustic systems and reduce their ‘whole life’ costs by offering rapid, repeatable and high-quality testing. DCAT technology re-creates a water environment in the dry and overcomes the limitations of in-water test methods. INNOVATION AWARD FOTAR Development – Avionics, UK Fibre Optic Target And Receiver modules are optoelectronic assemblies that require very high precision alignment of the components. Previous methods of alignment were time consuming and therefore achieved a low output. This team created a novel alignment technique using capabilities already available to them within the Microelectronics facility. They achieved extremely high accuracy at greater speed, while reducing cost and creating a positive step change in the manufacturing process. INNOVATION AWARD Foveal Optics Development and Implementation - Information Electronics Systems Integration, Nashua, New Hampshire USA This award is for the development of a stationary optical assembly that replaces the moving optics that, until now, have been used in Infra Red Jam Heads in order to both acquire and target hostile units. This winning invention works much like the human eye, providing both focused and peripheral viewing capabilities. This removes the need for switching views and provides increased reliability. The invention also results in smaller jamheads – a must-have in fast aerodynamic environments. IMPLEMENTATION AWARD Implementation of Low Cost Precision Kill (Advanced Technology Demonstration) to Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (SDD) through Partnering - Information Electronics Systems Integration, Nashua, New Hampshire USA This team have taken a combat proven weapon and turned it into a low-cost precision strike weapon worth $1 billion in new business. Three BAE Systems companies worked together and in partnership with the US Army and General Dynamics to create a laser-guided Hydra 70. With the simple addition of a guidance section installed between the rocket motor and the warhead, this weapon delivers pinpoint accuracy – within one metre of its target. COMMUNITY AWARD Establishment of Riyadh Saudi Arabian Multinational School – CS&S, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia One person identified a real issue within the Saudi capital’s English-speaking schools – namely that there was no provision for children with special needs. He developed a self-financing business plan, obtained authority from the Saudi government and then founded the Riyadh Multinational School, which provides learning assistance for special needs students. The school now has 400 students, and this is expected to double by 2006, making a real difference to the lives of those young people who rely on special education to help them overcome difficulties. Additional information on these winning innovations and the 39 Silver Award winners is available. About BAE SYSTEMS:
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