The American subsidiary operates under a Special Security Agreement which allows it to work on some of the most sensitive United States defense programs despite its foreign ownership.

Generating annual sales nearing $13.6 billion,[1] BAE Systems Inc. contributes almost half of the parent company's global revenues and is typically ranked among the Pentagon's top-10 suppliers.

It operates under a Special Security Agreement with a separate board of directors from the London-based parent to assure the protection of sensitive information concerning the U.S. programs in which it is engaged.

BAE Systems Inc. is led by president and chief executive officer Tom Arseneault, and is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia.

For example, it builds the electronic-warfare systems for the tri-service F-35 fighter; it produces all of the vehicles in U.S. Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Teams except the Abrams tank; and it is the biggest provider of ship repair services to the US Navy.

BAE has described the rationale for expansion in the US; "[it] is by far the largest defense market with spend running close to twice that of the Western European nations combined.

"[4] When Dick Olver was appointed Chairman in July 2004 he ordered a review of the company's businesses which ruled out further European acquisitions or joint ventures and confirmed a "strategic bias" for expansion and investment in the U.S.[5] In 1999, the most significant part of the newly created BAE Systems North America was Tracor, which was acquired after its sale to the company's subsidiary, Marconi North America, in 1998.

This acquisition was described by John Hamre, CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former Deputy Secretary of Defense, as "precedent setting" given the advanced and classified nature of many of that company's products.

[10] In 2003 BAE Systems acquired Advanced Power Technologies, Inc (APTI), a data exploitation company and provider of communications and networking solutions, for $27 million.

On March 7, 2005 BAE announced the acquisition of United Defense a major manufacturer of combat vehicles, artillery and naval guns.

BAE Systems announced the purchase of Armor Holdings, a Florida-based manufacturer of military, law enforcement and personnel safety equipment on May 7, 2007.

The SSA effectively allows us to operate in the US as an American company, providing the highest levels of assurance and integrity in some of the most sensitive fields of national security provision.