Ultra Electronics

Lore & Background

The company that became Ultra Electronics was started by wireless specialist Teddy Rosen as Edward E. Rosen & Co. in 1920, initially manufacturing headphones and loudspeakers. In 1925, a new company, Ultra Electric Ltd., was formed, taking its name from the first commercial moving iron loudspeaker. During the 1930s, Ultra manufactured a wide range of domestic radio receivers including the Blue Fox, Lynx, Panther and Tiger models, and in 1939 presented a television receiver for the BBC High Definition Television Service. During the Second World War, Ultra diversified into aviation, producing tails and bomb doors for the Short Stirling bomber and a wide range of aerostructures for numerous aircraft. After the war, it continued manufacturing aviation components such as temperature regulators, fuel flow valves, and throttle controls for engines including the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba and Rolls-Royce Avon. In 1961, Ultra's consumer electronics interests became part of Thorn Electrical Industries, and the remainder became Ultra Electronics Ltd., producing sonobuoys, the SARAH radio beacon, and subsystems for Concorde. Ultra Electronics was bought by the Dowty Group in 1977 and regained independence via a management buyout in 1993. It was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1996.

Reader's Guide

Ultra Electronics is notable for its long transition from a domestic radio manufacturer to a specialised supplier of electronic systems for defence and aerospace. Its early diversification into aviation during the Second World War set the pattern for its later focus on military and aerospace applications. The company's development of active noise control systems, marketed as UltraQuiet, and its noise reduction and vibration dampening products were adopted by Bombardier Aerospace and Airbus. By 2005, Ultra Electronics was ranked as the 66th biggest aerospace company in the world, with the American market accounting for around one-third of its turnover. Its acquisition-led growth strategy after the 1993 management buyout included 42 acquisitions by February 2011, expanding into cyber-security and ballistics identification. The company's acquisition by Cobham in 2021 for £2.6 billion marked the end of its independence as a publicly traded entity.

Did You Know?

• Ultra's first all-electric radio receiver was launched in 1930.
• During the Second World War, Ultra produced tails and bomb doors for the Short Stirling bomber.
• Ultra developed the Search and Rescue and Homing (SARAH) radio beacon in 1962.
• Ultra Electronics was acquired by Cobham in August 2021 for £2.6 billion.