Former U.S. Defense Department official appointed to BAE board

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Michael Vickers, former undersecretary of defense for intelligence at the U.S. Department of Defense, has been appointed to the board of directors of Britain’s BAE Systems .

Vickers was the longest serving undersecretary for intelligence, holding the post from 2011 till earlier this year.

“Mike brings a tremendous amount of experience and expertise from a distinguished career in the U.S. military and as a national security advisor in both Republican and Democratic administrations,” said Michael Chertoff, chairman of BAE’s board of directors, in a statement.

Vickers' three-year term started on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Andrew Hay)