Case Study: BAE Systems achieves rapid military aircraft retrofit delivery and eliminates costly prototyping with SolidWorks

Responding rapidly to military aircraft retrofits with SolidWorks

BAE Systems’ Support Solutions operation in Crestview, Florida, needed to respond quickly to military aircraft retrofit and modification contracts by accurately modeling aircraft skins and ribs, running analyses on mounting locations, and demonstrating designs without costly prototypes. To address this challenge the team adopted SolidWorks—specifically the SolidWorks 3D mechanical design system and SolidWorks eDrawings—for easier 3D visualization, simulation, and communication.

Using SolidWorks’ 3D CAD, simulation, collision-detection and eDrawings tools (14 licenses), BAE Systems eliminated prototyping cycles, increased design confidence, and accelerated delivery—most notably deploying a CH-47 helicopter safety system to the field in under three months and passing airworthiness tests for a C-130 antenna mount. SolidWorks’ solution helped grow the group’s defense contracts roughly tenfold (from ~10 to over 100 annually) and produced measurable time- and cost-savings.

BAE Systems

Craig Yort

Engineering Manager