QinetiQ is a British global defence technology company, formed from the greater part of the former UK government agency, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), when it was split up in June 2001 (with the smaller part becoming Dstl). Its major sites are Farnborough, Hampshire, MoD Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, and Malvern, Worcestershire where it was formerly DERA and is the largest single employer in the area. Former Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet served as an independent non-executive director to Qinetiq's board between October 2006 and January 2008.

In 2001, when Defence Minister Lewis Moonie announced the creation of Qinetiq, he said that it would remain a British company based in the UK. The MoD would keep a 'Special Share' in the company, and safeguards would be in place to prevent conflicts of interest. In February 2003, the U.S. private equity firm the Carlyle Group acquired a 33.8% share in the company for £42m. Prior to stock market flotation, ownership was split between the MoD (56%), Carlyle Group (31%) and staff (13%). The Carlyle Group was expected to invest for three to five years, after which a stock exchange float would take place.

In September 2004 Qinetiq acquired the U.S. defence companies Westar Corporation and Foster-Miller (maker of the Talon robot). Also in 2004, it acquired HVR Consulting Services Ltd. a leading UK based engineering consultancy. In early August 2005, the company announced it would acquire Apogen Technologies, Inc., pending regulatory approval. The Qinetiq website lists this merger as costing $288.0m (£162.7m). In September 2005, it acquired a 90% share of Verhaert Design and Development NV (VDD), the Belgian space systems integrator. In October that year, it acquired Broadreach Networks Limited, a supplier of Wi-Fi internet to the European rail industry, and in February 2006, it bought Graphics Research Corporation Ltd, developer of the Paramarine software suite of ship and submarine design tools.

Qinetiq is an international defence and security technology company that provides technology-based products and services to government and commercial customers. More than 2,000 of Qinetiq's Talon robots have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan most of which are being used to remotely locate and disable roadside bombs. Qinetiq's SPO stand-off threat detection system has been sold to the US Transportation Security Administration for use at American railway stations and airports. Qinetiq's Zephyr, solar powered unmanned aerial vehicle recently flew non-stop for fourteen days – an official world record for longest duration unmanned flight.

Qinetiq has a 25-year agreement with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide test and evaluation services and manage military ranges. This agreement is the Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA). It is a major stakeholder in the UK Defence Technology Centre which places military research contracts on behalf of the MoD.

Also, Qinetiq has a 15-year agreement with the MoD under the Maritime Strategic Facilities Agreement (MSCA) to provide strategic maritime facilities and capabilities, including hydromechanic facilities at Haslar, biomedical facilities on the UK's South Coast, and submarine structures, survivability and shock testing facilities at Rosyth.

The Qinetiq Group comprises Qinetiq EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Australasia) and Qinetiq North America. There are three business divisions in North America (technology solutions, systems engineering and mission solutions) and three in EMEA (consultancy, managed services and technology solutions).

‹ Prev Next › ‹ All Companies ›