NASHUA – The new president of BAE Systems New Hampshire operations, Dan Gobel, spent years in the area overseeing a variety of contracts here.

BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems division, which is headquartered in Nashua, announced last month that Gobel has been appointed its president. Gobel succeeds Tom Arseneault, who has become executive vice president for product sectors and chief technology officer for BAE Systems Inc.

Gobel will face an almost certain reduction in defense spending that will strike at the heart of business for the Electronic Systems division. While the division has expanded into areas like energy management and mobile communications, the bulk of its business involves sophisticated electronics for warfare, including flight controls, night vision systems, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors.

BAE is one of the state’s biggest private employers, with approximately 4,500 people at locations in Manchester, Hudson, Merrimack and two Nashua facilities.

The Electronic Systems division overall employs 12,000 people in eight states.

Gobel previously served as the vice president and deputy general manager of the Electronic Systems sector, in and around New Hampshire.

He also had served as president of the former Platform Solutions sector until that organization combined with the former Electronic Solutions business in 2011 to create Electronic Systems.

Gobel was general manager for the Electronic Combat Solutions and Advanced Platform Electronic Warfare business areas within Electronic Solutions, holding leadership roles on advanced platform electronic warfare systems including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter concept formulation and system development and demonstration programs.

“Dan is a well-respected leader with a deep understanding of both the commercial and defense electronics markets,” said Linda Hudson, president and CEO of BAE Systems Inc.

The British-based company has more than 100,000 employees on five continents.

David Brooks can be reached at 594-6531 or dbrooks@nashuatelegraph.com. Follow Brooks’ blog on Twitter (@GraniteGeek).