 | |
| Formerly | Chemring P L C (1905–1986)[1][2] |
|---|---|
| Company type | Public company |
| LSE: CHG FTSE 250 component | |
| Industry | Aerospace and Defence |
| Founded | November 30, 1905; 120 years ago (1905-11-30)[1] |
| Headquarters | Romsey, UK |
Key people | Carl-Peter Forster, chairman Michael Ord, CEO |
| Revenue |  £497.5 million (2025)[3] |
| £73.4 million (2025)[3] | |
| £48.2 million (2025)[3] | |
| Total assets | £863.1 million (2025)[3] |
| Total equity | £382.0 million (2025)[3] |
Number of employees | 2,822 (2025)[3] |
| Subsidiaries | Roke Manor Research, Kilgore Flares Company, Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology, Titan Dynamics Systems, Alloy Surfaces, Mecar, 3d-Radar AS |
| Website | chemring |
Chemring Group plc is a global business providing a range of advanced technology products and services to theaerospace, defence and security markets. Chemring has extensive operations in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia.
The company was originally formed during 1905 asThe British, Foreign & Colonial Automatic Light Controlling Company Limited, which manufactured timers for gasstreet lighting. Deciding to venture intoelectrical filaments, which were used for electric lights, it found demand for the technology from both domestic and foreign armed forces, using it aschaff, aradardecoy. During 1974, the company was first listed on theLondon Stock Exchange. In 1982, Chemring drastically increased its production of decoys to supply British forces engaged in theFalklands War.
The company again rapidly increased its rate of production of countermeasures to supply coalition forces in theGulf War of 1991. In 1992, Chemring acquired its main British competitorHaley & Weller. In the following decades, Chemring acquired various businesses while expanding, particularly in theNorth American market. By 2010, Chemring Group reportedly held roughly 50% of the global market for countermeasures. It has also become the dominant supplier of such devices to both the UK and US armed forces. The company is presently headquartered inRomsey. It is listed on theLondon Stock Exchange and is a constituent of theFTSE 250 Index.
The business currently known as Chemring Group was established in 1905 asThe British, Foreign & Colonial Automatic Light Controlling Company Limited, so named after its principal business of manufacturing timers for gasstreet lighting.[4] These clockwork timepieces gradually replaced the need to employ human lamplighters to manually control street lighting. The company's equipment played a major role in the transformation of the UK’s street lighting from gas to electricity.[4]
In the 1950s, the company decided to diversify, developing a proprietary process for the manufacture of silver-coated nylonfilaments for lighting.[4] The UK'sMeteorological Office opted to procure these filaments, along with lightweightradar reflectors; they facilitated the accurate measurement of wind speed when attached to specially calibrated balloons.[4] It was subsequently established that such filaments had an alternative use aschaff forradardecoy purposes. Both theSwedish Air Force and the UKMinistry of Defence became highly interested in using this chaff.[4]
During 1974, the company was first listed on theLondon Stock Exchange.[4] As a consequence of theFalklands War of 1982, Chemring established a new factory to produce aluminium glass chaff decoys; these were deployed across the vessels of theRoyal Navy to counteract the threat ofsea-skimming missiles. In 1986, Chemring acquiredPains Wessex, a firm specialising inpyrotechnics; since renamedChemring Countermeasures Limited, the acquisition facilitated a move intoinfrared (IR) decoys.[4]
TheGulf War of 1991, motived Chemring to rapidly increase its production of countermeasures; these were supplied in quantity to the US-ledcoalition forces.[4] In 1992, the company acquired its main domestic competitor,Haley & Weller, which it renamedChemring Defence UK Limited; this purchase meant that Chemring had become the principal supplier of the Ministry of Defence's countermeasure and military pyrotechnic needs.[4] In 1993, Chemring established a presence in the United States with its first US acquisition, Alloy Surfaces Company Inc, which produced tailor-made decoys incorporating special materials.[5]
TheNorth American market has become of increasing prominence in the company's portfolio; in 2001, Chemring acquiredKilgore Flares Company LLC, this made the Group the largest provider of decoys to theUnited States Department of Defense.[4] Chemring also expanded in Europe via acquisitions around this period. During November 2005, it purchasedComet GmbH, Pyrotechnik-Apparatebau, which was later renamedChemring Defence Germany GmbH, fromDiehl Stiftung & Co KG.[4] In 2006, the Chemring Group acquiredPoole based BDL Systems for £9 million.[6][7]
During 2007, the Company acquiredSimmel Difesa, an ammunition supply business;[8] that same year,Richmond Electronics & Engineering, a business specialising inbomb disposal technology, was also purchased.[9] In 2008, it went on to purchaseScot, a US specialist manufacturer ofdevices for aircraft emergency systems, space launch systems, and missiles;[10] the firm was viewed as a natural counterpart toChemring Energetics UK, an existing subsidiary.[11] Another acquisition that year wasMartin Electronics, a manufacturer ofammunition andfuses.[12]
In 2009, Chemring acquiredHi-Shear Technology Corporation, a US leading manufacturer of high reliability energetic solutions that perform critical functions in key US space and defence programmes.[13] In 2010, it purchasedRoke Manor Research, a centre for advanced technology research and development based in Hampshire, UK fromSiemens for £55m.[14] By 2010, Chemring Group reportedly held roughly 50% of the global market for countermeasure flares, its market share having grown significantly over the previous decade; according to industry publicationFlight International, much of the company's recent growth was attributable to the expanding countermeasures sector alone.[15]
In 2011, the company acquired the Detection Systems operations and certain related assets ofGeneral Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a subsidiary ofGeneral Dynamics Corporation; this entity has since operated asChemring Detection Systems Inc, being a US leader in chemical and biological threat detection and has advanced capability in stand-off detection of improvised explosive devices.[16] In 2012, Chemring disposed of its Marine interests,Chemring Marine, to Drew Marine.[17]
In May 2014, Chemring acquired3d-Radar AS, aNorwegian subsidiary ofCurtiss-Wright Corporation, for $3 million;[18] 3d-Radar AS was sold on during 2018. In 2016, Chemring acquired the key assets and technology ofWallop Defence Systems, a British subsidiary ofEsterline, strengthening its air countermeasures portfolio.[4]
Chemring Group operates in four market sectors:[19]
The corporation owns Chemring Nobel[20] (as of 2023); formerly its name wasDyno Nobel.[21]
In 2002, a report on the BBCToday programme claimed that a salesman from PW Defence, a Chemring subsidiary, had agreed to sell landmines to an undercover reporter.[22][23] The anti-personnel weapons were outlawed in the UK in 1998, following the signing of theOttawa Treaty.[24] Chemring Group insisted that it had never manufactured such products and had halted sales well in advance of the ban; six months later, it was exonerated of any wrongdoing; a dispute over the allegation was still ongoing between the BBC and Chemring two years later.[25][26]
In 2011, it was revealed thatCS gas produced by Chemring had been used against civilian pro-democracy protesters in the2011 Egyptian revolution.[27] Later in 2014, it was also revealed that tear gas used against demonstrators in the2014 Hong Kong protests was provided by Chemring.[28] In June 2019, following the use of CS Gas and other crowd-control measures by authorities against demonstrators in the2019–20 Hong Kong protests, the UK Government ordered an immediate end to such sales to the region.[29][30]
In 2018, it was announced that the UK'sSerious Fraud Office (SFO) had opened an investigation into corruption andmoney laundering by Chemring Group following a report from Chemring's subsidiary,Chemring Technology Solutions (CTSL), which is also being investigated. A SFO spokesperson has stated that the inquiry is focused upon "the conduct of business by Chemring Group and CTSL".[31][32]
