VT Group originated in 1966 from the merger of Vosper (Portsmouth) and J. I. Thornycroft (Woolston, Southampton), trading as Vosper Thornycroft. It was nationalised in 1977 within British Shipbuilders and returned to commercial status after a management buyout in 1985.
In 1998 the group acquired the military boatbuilder Halmatic. From 2001 it diversified into superyachts with the sailing yacht Mirabella V, completed in 2004. From 2002 the whole was named VT Group plc, and shipbuilding moved in 2003 to Portsmouth Naval Base.
In 2008 its shipbuilding was merged with that of BAE Systems into BVT Surface Fleet, of which VT sold its share to BAE in 2009. Babcock International bought the rest of the group in 2010; the US business was then sold to a fund in 2012 and became VTG.
