Ford Aerospace was the aerospace and defense division of Ford Motor Company. It was based in Dearborn, Michigan and was active from 1956 (originally as Philco and then Philco Ford) through 1990, when it was sold to the Loral Corporation. Major divisions were located in Palo Alto CA (Space Systems Division), San Jose CA (Western Development Laboratories) and Newport Beach (Aeronutronic Division). Other operations were located in a number of other states around the United States.
 | |
| Formerly |
(1961–1975) (1975–1976) (1976–1988) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Aerospace, military |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Defunct | 1990; 34 years ago (1990) |
| Fate | Sold to Loral Corporation |
| Headquarters | Dearborn, Michigan, US |
| Products | Missiles, targeting pods |
| Parent | Ford Motor Company |
The company was established in 1956. It was renamed to "Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation" in 1976, and then to "Ford Aerospace Corporation" in 1988.
The 99 acres (40 ha) Engineering and Research Center campus was located on Jamboree Road at Ford Road, overlooking the Santa Catalina Strait of the Pacific Ocean in Newport Beach.[1][2] The facility's master plan and main buildings were designed by Modernist architect William Pereira in 1958.[3] Operation was moved to Newport Beach in 1960.[4]
In the 1960s and 1970s, business enjoyed rapid growth because of the success of the Sidewinder air-to-air missile and Chaparral surface-to-air missile programs.[4] In the 1970s, the Pave Tack bomb-targeting system became a significant contributor to revenue.[4]
The company included: Space Systems Division (later Space Systems/Loral) and the Western Development Labs (WDL) (later Loral WDL, and presently Lockheed Martin WDL) in Palo Alto, California with Aeronutronic (later Space Systems/Loral) at the Newport Beach site.[4]
A partial company timeline includes: