Military products Bulova

The development and production of various weapons and military equipment was in charge of the company’s sector of industrial defense ( Industrial Defense Activities ). Especially for these purposes, three large structural divisions were created in the company’s structure: ^[6]

• System and Instrument Division ( Systems and Instruments Division ) - for the development and testing of products of precision mechanics, automation, etc., as well as machines, machine tools and industrial equipment for their industrial production and maintenance;
• Electronics Division - for the development of various electronic and electrical devices and military devices for aviation and rocket technology and weapons;
• Service and Technical Division ( Technical Sales and Services Division ) - for routine maintenance of the supplied weapons and military equipment, and industrial equipment;

In addition, the watch factories and factories of the company ( domestic watch movement and watch case making facilities ) were engaged in the manufacture of military products, in parallel with the release of civilian products ^[6] . Directly the company’s management was administered

• The Turtle Mountain Ordnance Plant , Rolla , Rolette County, North Dakota , produced a wide range of artillery shells , fuses, and safety devices on orders placed by various arms departments. In 1964-1965 by order of the US Government, the plant’s production base was expanded due to the construction of new production buildings and premises, as well as the completion of new floors and the compaction of production workshops on existing ones to ensure the release of more ammunition and components for large orders ^[6] .

On the basis of the system-instrumental unit, the military-industrial group (Bulova Industrial / Defense Group) was subsequently formed with headquarters in New York, which included a number of subsidiary companies :

• Bulova Research & Development Labs., Inc., Woodside , Queens, New York;
• Timer Engineering section → Industrial & Timer Products, Flushing , New York;
• Industrial & Military Products Division, Jackson Heights , Queens, New York;

Almost all of the research and development units of the Bulova Industrial / Defense Group were located in Queens (New York). Subsequently, they were added:

• Bulova Systems & Instruments Corporation, Valley Stream , NY ;
• Bulova Technologies, Lancaster , PA .

World War II

Until the 1940s, in the annual reports of the company's management, no mention was made of any military products to their shareholders . With the outbreak of World War II , in addition to civilian products, Bulova has been manufacturing military products ^[7] : bomb sights , altimeters , variometers and navigation equipment for military aircraft and fuses for various types of striking elements (mainly for artillery shells), which during the years of the war became one of the main revenue items of the company ^[2] . The line of military products of precision mechanics for the army aviation and navy received the provisional name “hearts-eyes-brains” (Eng. “ Hearts-Eyes-Brains ”) - it was understood that the supplied precision mechanical equipment is all of the above for combat aircraft and ships ^{[8 ]} . In the manufacture of the specified precision mechanical equipment and parts of the Bulova brand, the know-how in the form of agate and other ring bearings made of precious stones (Eng. Jewel Bearing ) was used ^[9] .

Bulova Watch Company and Synthetic Gems & Jewels, Inc. mastered the niche of processing natural and synthetic diamonds and other precious stones for on-board equipment of warships and aircraft ^{[10] [11]} . So, over five thousand processed stones, of which 4 thousand went to the engine room , 100 were used in the fire control system and another 100 in navigation equipment ^[12] , were used to equip the onboard equipment, components and assemblies of one battleship with precious stones. About a hundred processed precious stones were used in the manufacture of the dashboard of one bomber ^[13] .

In light of the boom in military orders, in connection with the increasing involvement of the United States in the confrontation with the Japanese Empire and the intensification of hostilities during the Second World War at the Pacific Theater of War , in less than a year in 1941-1942. established production of diamond cutting and diamond grinding machines, trained a large number of workers for working on these machines, and by August 1942 had adjusted the supply of diamonds to enterprises of the US military-industrial complex and stamped diamond processing machines in such numbers that they would have been more than enough to equip more dozens of large manufacturing enterprises ^[14] . The full production cycle of diamond processing, after which they could be used for installation in one or another military equipment, included about seventy technological operations, from cleaning to quality control of processed stones. The consumption of diamond material for stone processing was also very high - work machines and rooms were covered with a layer of diamond dust - since cutting ruby or sapphire was only possible for diamond and two other rare elements of similar strength, which were absent in the USA and were not available due to enemy actions in maritime communications ^[15] .

By the time World War II began, the company was already transnational and had production facilities outside the United States - in Switzerland , that is, in the full sense of the word, was a manufacturer of " Swiss watches ", although at that stage mainly military orders were placed and serviced. and the Swiss branches were no exception in this regard (in the second half of the 1950s, the US Congress limited quotas for the import of products from abroad on the pretext of strengthening national security, - corporate lawyers countered this move by this decision contradicted Law No. 215 of July 11, 1955, adopted by them.On the expansion of foreign trade agreements ”, since imported Swiss-made components fell into the category of products necessary for national security). ^[16]

Korean War

The Korean War became another important factor in industrial growth and a catalyst for the enlargement of Bulova’s capital ^[17] - in 1950 , during the period of the highest intensity of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, the production capacities of its weapons enterprises grew by one third, and in some places more ^[18] .

As part of the course to increase profits, the company management sought to reduce production costs associated with staff remuneration, for which it attracted representatives of the poorest segments of the American population for work that did not require qualified personnel. The Turtle Mountain Arms Plant, engaged in the processing of diamonds for military equipment (an enterprise of strategic importance is the only source of bearings made of precious and semiprecious stones for the United States in case of interruption or suspension of external supplies), ^{[19] [20]} was distinguished by the extreme low cost of labor , - a scientist historian claimed that the factory employed about hundreds of poor Indians . " ^[21]

Vietnam war

The Vietnam War , which took the form of endless bombardments and rocket attacks on Vietnamese cities and villages, led to a significantly increased consumption of ammunition and the exhaustion of state fuse stocks in the first months of the war, which required the company’s management to create its own long-term stockpiles and expand the warehouse base for finished products. Amounts of military orders rapidly crawled up (the growth in sales in the military sector in percentage terms was 25% in 1966-1967 and 30% in 1967-1968) ^[22] and forced the company to again expand military production to the detriment of opening new enterprises to civilian production, ^[23] while warning the shareholders in advance that the most active phase of the war will end sooner or later, which will lead to a decline in orders: ^[24]

With the escalation of [military operations] in Vietnam since mid-1965, our defense business expanded dramatically and overcame all conceivable growth rates we had predicted before the Vietnam conflict. We believe that our industrial and defense business has reached its “plateau” [stabilized at the peak] at its current level and will gradually decline over the next few years.

Original text

With the escalation in Vietnam since mid-1965, our defense business has increased dramatically and out of all proportion to what we had envisioned prior to the Vietnam con fl ict. We feel that our industrial and defense business has reached a plateau at its current levels and will level off and decline over the next few years.

- The annual report of the company's management to shareholders for the period from March 31, 1967 to March 31, 1968

When government ammunition depots were deployed by 1968, capable of accepting the required amount of finished products - fuses and other consumables, company management reported to shareholders that a decrease in the intensity of hostilities in Vietnam would not entail a significant drop in revenue and would not lead to a significant decrease in the annual rate profits , ^[25] although, of course, sales will decrease in proportion to a decrease in the amount of ammunition consumed by the US Armed Forces ^[22] .

Arms Race

By the time the Korean War ended, the “ arms race ” between the USSR and the USA had already gained momentum, which had an effect on increasing budgetary investments in missile development and production programs — the company’s leadership, in turn, hastened to stake out a niche of precision mechanics for the rocket industry : safety mechanisms / translators of a fuse for a combat platoon, as well as elements of navigation systems and ground to the ground, were developed and produced by state orders and commercial orders of private contractors ntrolno-out equipment (CPA) for rockets such as " Titanium " " bullpap ", " Navajo ", " Atlas ", " Falcon ", " hawk-3 ", " Snark " ^[18] " Terriers ," " Talos ”,“ Tartar ”,“ Sidewinder ”,“ Sparrow ”,“ Corvus ”, anti-tank missiles“ Dart ”, ^[26] and“ Schilleyl ”, ^[27] anti-ballistic missiles “ Sprint ”, ^[6] electro-mechanical devices of the onboard equipment of missiles Minuteman ^[28] and Polaris ^[27] and Tor , ^[29] Pershing warhead missiles, ^{[28] [30]} electro-mechanical missile launch circuit Minuteman, ^[31] ground-based equipment for air defense systems " Nike-Zeus ", ^[32] toothed gear fur isms CPS missiles " Jupiter " ^[33] (with dimensions of parts 36000: 1 ), ^[34] elements of navigation systems for Bullpup, Mowler , Polaris, Atlas, Pershing missiles, Bomark unmanned interceptors and Swallow reconnaissance UAVs, ^[35] navigation sensors tactical bomber systems F-111 , ^[6] torpedo weapons , ^[23] radar systems for early warning / early warning (English Distance Early Warning ), ^[32] optoelectronic reconnaissance equipment for aerospace and air reconnaissance ^[36] (separate samples of photographic equipment were shot up to 40 thousand frames in three seconds), ^[20] as well as electronic rifle aviation bomb sights with built-in computers, fire control systems and on-board navigation systems of aircraft ^[18] . In addition, the company was involved in joint US-British missile weapons projects, where the American side took over the manufacture of guidance systems, among other things, Bulova, together with developed the warhead and guidance systems for the Vickilent ATGM of the British company Vickers Electric Ltd to equip them with NATO armies ^[27] .

As of 1959, the company participated in 17 of 40 US military missile programs, ranging from small-sized air-to-air short-range Sidewind missiles to heavy Atlas mine-based intercontinental ballistic missiles. The need for an ever-increasing miniaturization of the components of missile warheads was dictated by the consideration that reducing the total mass of the marching and terminal stages of the rocket can significantly reduce fuel consumption in flight, thereby reducing the size of the rocket and making it more compact and convenient to transport and place on various rocket carriers weapons, both land and naval and aviation. The product line for rocket science included everything from relatively technologically simple super-miniature electronic devices of microscopic dimensions, signal filters and quartz piezoelectric transducers to extremely complex defense mechanisms — translators of rocket warheads to a combat platoon — in this regard, experience in organizing mass production was very useful various clock mechanisms ^[34] . The total volume of military orders of the company from the American army, aviation and navy for 1956-1957. exceeded $ 20 million, ^[37] at the same time there was a clear trend towards a decrease in the volume of conventional arms orders and an increase in those in the missile weapons segment, which, as directed by the company's board chairman General Omar Bradley , made the company’s management focus on this direction ^[38] . This entailed the corresponding organizational transformations: in 1958-1959. the number of engineering and technical personnel of the missile weapons laboratory doubled (in the percentage ratio, the personnel replenishment of the engineering corps was 72%). ^[39] For the period 1957-1961. The revenue of the company’s divisions engaged in the development of missile weapons increased by 300%, that is, three times as compared to the same period of the previous fiscal years , and continued to grow rapidly ^[40] .

In the mid-1960s production of reconnaissance equipment was subcontracted from General Dynamics , as well as photogrammetric equipment (rectifiers for instant processing of obtained photographs ) for topographic reconnaissance divisions and services of the US Navy ^[6] .

Product diversification led the company’s laboratory divisions to the development and manufacture of optoelectronic equipment for missiles: the company's engineers were involved in the creation of the Polkat infrared guidance system for guided missile projectiles (together with Shilleila they were intended for arming Sheridan airborne tanks ) ^{[27 ]} and crystal lattices of infrared radiation receivers and a number of other technological solutions for remote control of the SIDWIND remote control air- conditioner . ^[42] In the future, production of receiving surfaces of infrared homing heads , non-contact target sensors , detonators of detonation circuits, gyroscopes , ^[43] as well as self-liquidation clock mechanisms for URVP and NUR M30 OTRK M270 , 20/30-mm anti-tank shells XM552 , artillery fuses continues M423 , M427 , M509 , M524 , M525 , M565 , M567 , M572 , M577 and their modifications, fuses for firing 81 mm mortar M252 , fuses for NURS Mk 4 FFAR , fuses for naval artillery shells VT Mk 71 Mod 11/12, Mk 72 Mod 12/13, Mk 73 Mod 4/5, all fuses vany compatible with the electronic system installation fuse rocket and artillery armament MK 34 MOD 2 onboard fire surface ships management system ^[44] as well as automatic devices, vacuum equipment, control and test equipment to verify their suitability for use and other important components of ammunition for artillery weapons. For these purposes, a military-industrial unit was created in the company structure: Bulova Systems & Instruments Corporation in Valley Stream ( New York State ). In addition, devices for voice-activated weapon control , television signal converters, miniature programmers for missiles, as well as miniature on-board recording devices for recording flight parameters of prototype weapons prototypes, dosimeters for measuring the working radiation background (to ensure normal working conditions for staff) were developed, for aircraft of different types of services, the armed forces and developed telemetry altimeters , direction indicators and sliding , ritselnaya equipment, training and training equipment ^[27] . In the segment of explosive materials and pyrotechnic products , the Bulova Technologies division in Lancaster ( PA ) launched the production of M142 detonators for detonating engineering ammunition , ^[45] pyrotechnic " stretch marks " simulators - M117 / M118 light-signal simulators and M119 sound simulators. ^{[46] [47]}

U.S. Space Program

In the segment of rocket and space technology for the Ministry of Defense (reconnaissance and communication satellites) and NASA (research satellites and spacecraft), the company participated in the supply of precision mechanical products for the multipurpose booster units Saturn ^[6] and Centaurus . ^[6] Accutron timers (“satellite switch” for automatic periodization of on-board equipment operation and energy saving) were installed on board Pegasus unmanned spacecraft (in particular, and ), “ Explorer ” (“ Explorer-7 ” and ), “ Telstar ” (“ Telstar-1 ” and “ Telstar-2 ”), (“ TIROS-6 "and" TIROS-7 "), ^{[48] [49]} hour forks type Accutron c optical interrupter delivered to aircraft navigation equipment manned spacecraft program Apollo "(in particular, for the star sensor and horizon sensor for the lunar module " Apollo "spacecraft), ^[50] the albedo -stable to prolonged exposure to solar radiation satellite solntseorientatory for unmanned space flights lasting up to a year subcontract for the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company About enterprise | ^{[ 51]} (in particular, for Agen’s unmanned space platforms engaged in supporting the activities of reconnaissance satellites and for solving other tasks of the national defense), ^[52] as well as the onboard clock for manned space applications arats, it was the Bulova Accutron of a special model that was installed in the control module of the shuttle Columbia . ^[53]

In addition to the above purely military products that are of little use for the civilian population, the Bulova Watch Company, with its factories in Woodside ( Queens , New York ), also produced high-precision wrist watches with high reliability for military pilots and divers, as well as astronauts (especially for the latter with the participation of Buzz Aldrin designed two models - Eagle Pilot and Astronaut , - Aldrin had already believed that the future of technology, such as a wireless phone , a video camera , calculator and other useful tools, will be enclosed in a housing wrist aces and are available to be worn on the wrist, and it tried to implement in conjunction with Bulova engineers). ^[54]

In the early 1960s in the military laboratories of Bulova, a training beam nozzle was created on the personal small arms of the military personnel, based on an infrared beam , with a compact power source and an electronic recorder, with the help of which they recorded hits from personal small arms during exercises and during tactical and fire training without using live ammunition. The production of an experimental prototype of this system was ready by mid-1961, ^[27] however, there are no references to the further progress of the project, until the beginning of the 1980s. the Miles battlefield laser simulation system ( MILES , abbreviated from ) did not begin to enter the US Army.

As in the case of other American monopolies , in the receipt of large government military orders by Bulova, protectionism and the exclusion of small companies from participation in contracts for the production of weapons and military equipment were observed. For example, on June 26, 1972, Bulova was given a government order for the production of M567 fuses in the amount of $ 1403,124.91 ^[55] At the same time, Amron-Orlando Corporation, which offered to manufacture a batch of fuses of the same name, was refused $ 44,000 less , ^[56] which was, among other things, a violation of the US Small Business Act, adopted in defense of small businesses from market monopolies ^[57] . In response to an official request, a representative of the US Secretary of Defense’s office stated that this was due to urgency of the execution of the order, which supposedly could not be provided by the small business, while at the same time the order for Bulova was submitted three weeks later, which indicated the opposite, and also on the existence of preliminary backstage arrangements between representatives of the customer and the contractor ^[58] . The office of the head of the U.S. General Audit Office did not find gross violations of public procurement law in this case ^[59] .

As a major contractor in the US military-industrial complex , in addition to executing orders for the US government , Bulova also worked for export. In the second half of the 1980s, during the Peace Pearl project, which was implemented as part of military-technical cooperation between the United States and China , the watch companies Bulova and Hamilton received an order from the Chinese government in the amount of $ 22 million for the development of new large-caliber artillery ammunition for naval artillery of the Navy PLA ^[60] .

• Asbury, Herbert . Synthetic Jewels: New Industry Makes Bearings for War Instruments. (Eng.) // Popular Science : A Technical Journal of Science and Industry. - NY: Popular Science Publishing Co., Inc., January 1943. - Vol. 142 - No. 1. - pp. 88-94.
• Decisions of the Comptroller General of the United States, Volume 52: July 1, 1972 June 30, 1973. (Eng.) - Washington, DC: US ​​Government Printing Office, 1973. - 1248 p.
• Aldrin, Buzz . Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon. (English) - London: Bloomsbury Publishing , 2010 .-- 336 p. - ISBN 978-1-4088-0416-2 .
• PEO Ammunition Systems Portfolio Book 2012—2013. (English) - Picatinny Arsenal , NJ: Ammunition Program Executive Officer, 2011 .-- 250 p.

Bulova Annual Reports to the stockholders