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Our History

Established in 2019, QinetiQ US is a leading defense and security company in the United States providing mission-led innovation at pace. We are a provider of technologically advanced services and products to the U.S. Department of Defense and national security agencies, positioned to deliver key aspects of the modernization required to address our customers’ pivot to counter near peer adversaries. QinetiQ’s engineering services span the DoD and Intel community providing subject matter expertise in the areas of communications, sensor integration and research and development, survivability and unmanned ground combat systems.

QinetiQ timeline

QinetiQ US operates as the U.S. arm of QinetiQ Group plc (QQ.LSE), an integrated global defense and security company focused on innovation for defense, security, and civil customers. Operating under a Special Security Agreement (SSA) with the U.S. Defense Counterintelligence & Security Agency (DCSA), we are creating new ways of protecting what matters most; testing technologies, systems, and processes to make sure they work as expected; and enabling customers to deploy new and enhanced existing capabilities with the assurance they will deliver the outcomes required.

QinetiQ North America and MTEQ

In 2004, QinetiQ Group plc acquired Foster-Miller Inc., a technology development company with 50 years of proven experience serving the defense, security, and commercial markets. This acquisition formed QinetiQ North America, a wholly owned subsidiary of QinetiQ. QinetiQ North America is best known for its market leadership in military robotics, winning several program of records over the years. Other areas of expertise include vehicle and soldier protection, maritime systems, power sensors and control systems.

QinetiQ Group plc acquired MTEQ, an agile and innovative advanced prototyping and rapid development organization, in 2019, combining it with QinetiQ North America to double the size of U.S. operations and creating QinetiQ US. This integration under a single corporate structure resulted in a number of strategic benefits including strengthening international growth and innovation strategy while accelerating growth in the U.S., the world’s largest defense market

Avantus Federal

Acquired by QinetiQ US in 2022, Avantus Federal brings expertise in military operations, mission services, intelligence analysis, cyber, and homeland and law enforcement operations. The addition of the Avantus Federal team to QinetiQ US not only strengthened core markets and capabilities, but also doubled the U.S. presence for QinetiQ.

What's in a Name?

The name 'QinetiQ' results from extensive analysis of all of our capabilities and strengths. It is derived from the scientific term kinetic, which means relating to or caused by motion. This in turn comes from the Greek kinetikos based on 'kineo,' which means 'to move,' with connotations towards energetic, enterprising and dynamic. 'QinetiQ' was seen as particularly distinctive and reflects our spirit of innovation and creativity, but also energy, motion, and progress.