United Defense Industries (UDI) is a United States defense contractor with its corporate headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. It produces tracked vehicles and gun systems.

The company started as a division of the agricultural machine business, Food Machinery Corporation (FMC), when they won a US government contract to build LVTs and became a weapon manufacturer during World War II. FMC later spun the defense business off as its own company. In September 2000 United Defense purchased Bofors Weapon Systems AB of Sweden, subsequently renamed Bofors Defence.

From 1997 until 2005 United Defense was owned by the Carlyle Group. On March 7 2005 British based defence contractor BAE Systems announced it was to acquire UDI for $3.974 billion (£2.1 billion).

Products

United Defense vehicles include the

• M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle
• M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle
• M109 Paladin
• M113 Family
• Crusader

External links

• United Defense - Official site
• BBC News: BAE Systems to buy US rival UDI