Selex ES
Italian-British defense electronics and information-technology company that operated from 2013 until its integration into Leonardo in 2016.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Selex ES was an Italian-British defense electronics and information-technology company belonging to the Finmeccanica group. It was created on 1 January 2013 when Finmeccanica combined three related businesses: SELEX Galileo, SELEX Sistemi Integrati and SELEX Elsag. The consolidation was intended to bring airborne systems, land and naval defense electronics, security technologies, communications and information systems under one operating structure and a more coherent international identity. The company inherited a substantial portfolio from a long chain of Italian and British aerospace, electronics and systems businesses. Its immediate predecessor, SELEX Galileo, had emerged from the integration of Finmeccanica's Galileo Avionica with the former SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems business. The latter had been created through the restructuring of a proposed Finmeccanica-BAE Systems combination. In 2007, Finmeccanica acquired BAE Systems' remaining minority interest in SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems, giving Finmeccanica full ownership. SELEX Galileo subsequently operated through aligned Italian and British companies and became the principal platform for the 2013 merger. Selex ES organized its activities into three broad divisions. Airborne and Space Systems covered airborne mission equipment, radar, electronic warfare, avionics, unmanned-aircraft systems, target drones, simulation and space sensors. Land and Naval Defence Electronics addressed integrated command and control, tactical communications, naval combat-management systems, land and naval radar and situational-awareness technologies. Security and Information Systems provided communications and network infrastructure, homeland-security systems, urban-security capabilities, cybersecurity-related services and air- and vessel-traffic-management solutions. At the time of its formation, the combined business was described as having approximately 17,000 employees and revenue exceeding €3.5 billion. Its industrial footprint extended beyond Italy and the United Kingdom to operations and subsidiaries in North America, continental Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. UK activities included airborne radar, electronic warfare, electro-optics, naval communications, cyber security, training and simulation, unmanned-aircraft testing and precision manufacturing. Italian activities included radar, avionics, space equipment, electro-optics, naval infrared search and track systems, unmanned systems and microwave components. The company supplied or developed technologies associated with major defense programs, including radar and infrared-search-and-track equipment for combat aircraft, electronic-warfare and defensive-aids systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, fire-control systems, communications equipment and surveillance infrastructure. It also worked on civil-security and public-sector applications, such as traffic management and large-scale monitoring systems. In 2013, it supplied an unarmed surveillance drone for a United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It later obtained a NATO cybersecurity contract and an Angolan maritime-surveillance contract covering equipment, spares and related services. Selex ES was not maintained as a standalone company. From 1 January 2016, its activities were absorbed into the Electronics, Defence and Security Systems Sector of Leonardo-Finmeccanica, which was later branded Leonardo S.p.A. The Selex ES corporate identity therefore represents a transitional organization in the evolution of Finmeccanica's defense-electronics businesses rather than an active independent brand.
History
Selex ES was the result of a long restructuring process involving Finmeccanica's Italian and British defense-electronics operations and selected businesses formerly associated with BAE Systems. In 2003, Finmeccanica and BAE Systems proposed a group of joint ventures known as Eurosystems, intended to combine avionics, command-and-control, surveillance and communications capabilities. The original structure proved difficult to integrate, and the partners replaced it with a simpler arrangement. Under the revised transaction finalized in May 2005, Finmeccanica's avionics business and most of BAE Systems Avionics were combined in SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems, with Finmeccanica holding the majority share. Other parts of the former Alenia Marconi Systems business were divided between the partners. BAE Systems' relevant UK activities were reorganized into BAE Systems Insyte, while Finmeccanica's Italian operations were consolidated into SELEX Sistemi Integrati. Communications activities were transferred to Selenia Communications, later renamed SELEX Communications. Finmeccanica progressively consolidated ownership and branding. In March 2007 it bought BAE Systems' remaining 25 percent stake in SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems. From January 2008, the British SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems business and its Italian counterpart Galileo Avionica operated under the common SELEX Galileo name. Their legal names were aligned with the brand in 2010, and a US operation also adopted the SELEX Galileo identity. The portfolio expanded through further acquisitions and combinations. In 2009, SELEX Sistemi Integrati acquired Vega Group, contributing UK systems-integration and consulting activities. In 2011, SELEX Communications merged with Elsag Datamat to create SELEX Elsag. These businesses, together with SELEX Galileo and SELEX Sistemi Integrati, were merged on 1 January 2013 to form Selex ES. The new company brought together approximately 17,000 employees and reported revenue above €3.5 billion at formation. It operated principally from Italy and the United Kingdom while maintaining international subsidiaries and commercial activities in markets including the United States, Germany, Turkey, Romania, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and India. Its three divisions reflected the intended breadth of the business: Airborne and Space Systems; Land and Naval Defence Electronics; and Security and Information Systems. Its technical work ranged from combat-aircraft radar, avionics and electronic warfare to unmanned aircraft, naval combat systems, land surveillance, military communications, homeland security, cyber services and traffic-management infrastructure. Sites in the UK supported radar, electronic warfare, electro-optics, cyber security, communications, naval systems, simulation and unmanned-aircraft trials. Italian facilities contributed radar, avionics, electro-optics, space sensors, naval infrared systems, microwave components and related engineering. Selex ES also maintained educational, cultural and community initiatives. These included the IGNITE graduate program in India, museums focused on radar and Italian scientific and industrial history, and sponsorship of the Combined Services Disabled Ski Team in the United Kingdom. Such activities were presented as part of a wider sustainability and social-responsibility policy. The standalone company lasted only three years. On 1 January 2016, its business was moved into Leonardo-Finmeccanica's Electronics, Defence and Security Systems Sector. Finmeccanica subsequently adopted the Leonardo S.p.A. name, making Selex ES a historical operating brand and corporate structure within the development of Leonardo's present defense and aerospace business.
- 2016
Integration into Leonardo
[1]Selex ES activities were transferred to Leonardo-Finmeccanica's Electronics, Defence and Security Systems Sector from 1 January.
- 2013
Selex ES formed
[1]SELEX Galileo, SELEX Sistemi Integrati and SELEX Elsag were merged into Selex ES on 1 January.
- 2011
SELEX Elsag established
[1]SELEX Communications merged with Elsag Datamat to form SELEX Elsag.
- 2009
Vega Group acquired
[1]SELEX Sistemi Integrati purchased Vega Group, strengthening its UK systems-integration and consulting capabilities.
- 2008
SELEX Galileo common brand introduced
[1]The Italian and British operating companies began using the SELEX Galileo brand.
- 2007
Finmeccanica acquired remaining SELEX S&AS stake
[1]Finmeccanica purchased BAE Systems' remaining 25 percent interest in SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems for €400 million.
- 2005
Eurosystems transaction finalized
[1]The partners reorganized their operations, creating SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems, SELEX Sistemi Integrati and other successor businesses.
- 2003
Initial Eurosystems proposal
[1]Finmeccanica and BAE Systems proposed joint ventures to combine selected avionics, C4ISR and communications activities, but the proposed structure was later reconsidered as too complex.
Products and positioning
A vertically integrated defense-electronics supplier combining airborne and space systems, land and naval mission systems, security infrastructure, communications and information technology for military, government and selected civil customers.
Unmanned aerial system
Falco
Falco was a remotely piloted surveillance aircraft family developed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It formed part of Selex ES's airborne-systems portfolio and was intended to carry sensors for persistent observation rather than weapons. The family illustrated the company's focus on integrating air vehicles, mission systems, payloads and ground infrastructure.
AESA radar
Raven ES-05
Raven ES-05 was an electronically scanned airborne radar associated with the Gripen fighter program. It represented Selex ES's expertise in active electronically scanned array technology, multi-mode sensing and integration into modern combat-aircraft mission systems.
Infrared search-and-track system
PIRATE
PIRATE was an infrared search-and-track system developed for the Eurofighter Typhoon. It used passive infrared sensing to support detection, tracking and situational awareness without relying solely on active radar emissions, forming part of Selex ES's electro-optical and airborne sensor capabilities.
Directed infrared countermeasure system
Miysis
Miysis was a directed-infrared-countermeasure system designed to protect aircraft against heat-seeking missile threats. It belonged to the company's airborne defensive-aids and electronic-warfare portfolio, combining threat detection and directed countermeasure functions.
Long-range air-surveillance radar
RAT-31DL
RAT-31DL was a land-based air-surveillance radar in the Selex ES portfolio. It was designed to provide long-range detection and tracking for integrated air-defense and situational-awareness networks, reflecting the company's work in fixed and deployable radar systems.
Naval multifunction radar
EMPAR
EMPAR was a naval multifunction radar associated with shipborne surveillance and fire-control applications. It represented the land-and-naval division's work on sensors and combat-management architectures for maritime defense platforms.
Electronic-warfare decoy
BriteCloud
BriteCloud was an expendable active electronic-warfare decoy intended to help aircraft defeat radar-guided threats. It formed part of Selex ES's broader electronic-support and aircraft-protection offering.
Passive radar
AULOS
AULOS was a passive-radar concept in the company's sensor portfolio. Passive radar systems use existing signals in the environment rather than transmitting a conventional radar waveform, supporting surveillance and detection applications.
Controversies
2012
Allegations concerning Syrian TETRA communications
Reports alleged that a predecessor Selex-related business supplied hardware for a TETRA trunked-radio network used by the Assad regime and continued to expand the related contract despite sanctions during the Syrian Civil War. The allegation concerns predecessor operations rather than a separately documented action by the standalone Selex ES entity.
Marketing campaigns
- IGNITE
India
IGNITE was part of Selex ES's International Graduate Network Integrated Through Experience. The initiative used graduate placements and entrepreneurial projects to encourage skills transfer and socially sustainable business practices in developing markets.
Outcome. The program was presented as a social-responsibility and professional-development initiative; a quantified outcome is not specified in the available reference.
- Combined Services Disabled Ski Team sponsorship
United Kingdom
Selex ES sponsored the Combined Services Disabled Ski Team, supporting rehabilitation and competitive sport for service members who had suffered serious injuries.
Outcome. The company reported raising more than £80,000 through fundraising activities, although the available reference does not provide a complete campaign date range.
Brand decisions
2016
Transfer of activities into LeonardoStrategyBackground
Finmeccanica pursued a group-wide structure intended to consolidate its major technology and defense businesses.
Action taken
From 1 January 2016, Selex ES activities were merged into Leonardo-Finmeccanica's Electronics, Defence and Security Systems Sector.
Aftermath
Selex ES ceased to operate as an independent company, and its technologies and personnel became part of the business later known as Leonardo S.p.A.
2013
Consolidation of SELEX businessesM&ABackground
Finmeccanica had accumulated several related defense-electronics businesses with overlapping technologies, brands and national operating structures.
Action taken
SELEX Galileo, SELEX Sistemi Integrati and SELEX Elsag were combined to create Selex ES, organized around airborne and space systems, land and naval defense electronics, and security and information systems.
Aftermath
The merger created a business with approximately 17,000 employees and reported revenue above €3.5 billion, while preserving a broad Italian-British and international industrial footprint.
Recent events
- 2016
Selex ES awarded maritime-surveillance contract in Angola[1]
Other
An Angolan contract covered equipment, replacement components and associated services for the country's planned maritime-surveillance centers.
- 2016
Selex ES activities transferred to Leonardo[1]
M&A
The company ceased operating as a standalone organization when its activities were incorporated into Leonardo-Finmeccanica's Electronics, Defence and Security Systems Sector.
- 2015
Selex ES won a NATO cybersecurity contract[1]
Product launch
The company secured a cybersecurity contract with NATO, reinforcing its role in defense information assurance and cyber services.
- 2013
Selex ES created through merger of three Finmeccanica businesses[1]
M&A
SELEX Galileo, SELEX Sistemi Integrati and SELEX Elsag were combined to create Selex ES as a single defense-electronics and information-technology business.
- 2013
Selex ES supplied an unarmed surveillance drone for a UN mission[1]
Other
The company provided an unarmed unmanned aircraft to support United Nations monitoring of armed-group movements and civilian protection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Sources1 sources
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