QinetiQ's airborne training capability strengthened through completed EIS Acquisition
25/02/2019
QinetiQ Group plc (QinetiQ) has completed its acquisition of E.I.S. Aircraft Operations (now QinetiQ GmbH), accelerating international growth and airborne training services capabilities for the group.
The acquisition of EIS Aircraft Operations, now QinetiQ GmbH, delivers a number of strategic benefits to QinetiQ, including strengthening its capability integration, threat representation and operational readiness offering to customers, while accelerating international growth.
With a strong track-record and further growth potential, as well as complementary core activities in aircraft modification, QinetiQ GmbH strengthens QinetiQ’s test and evaluation capability. With an increasing demand for cost-effective training, this acquisition also accelerates QinetiQ’s international growth strategy in Europe, the Middle East and Australia.
Greg Barsby, Managing Director – Australia, said:
“The Australian market is seeing the rapid introduction of new technologies, new types of threats and high costs associated with running live rehearsals. QinetiQ GmbH will help QinetiQ and our customers in the Australian Defence Force respond to these challenges.
"Training personnel will be equipped with more knowledge, skill and responsiveness through access to modern and realistic battle scenarios in both real and simulated training and rehearsal exercises.”
QinetiQ GmbH delivers airborne training services using a highly cost-effective fleet of 14 leased Pilatus PC-9 and PC-12 aircraft, flown by a team of 20 pilots. The business has established relationships with its customers as the exclusive provider of low-speed aerial training services to the German armed forces since 1999. Equally, QinetiQ GmbH delivers aerial training services to the United States Air Force in Europe and it modifies aircraft for special missions through the integration of sensors and digital systems used in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR).
Supplementing QinetiQ’s acquisition of Meggitt Target Systems in 2016, to provide both manned and unmanned airborne test and training services, QinetiQ GmbH establishes QinetiQ’s test and evaluation and engineering services capabilities in Germany. These capabilities complement QinetiQ’s existing live and synthetic training capabilities, supporting its focus on defence operational training.
Steve Wadey, QinetiQ CEO, said:
“E.I.S Aircraft Operations is a high growth business which provides airborne training at a disruptively low price. This acquisition supports our strategy for international growth by enhancing our ability to deliver capability integration, threat representation and operational readiness for customers.”
QinetiQ GmbH continues to be led by its long-standing E.I.S. Aircraft Operations management team. It forms part of QinetiQ’s International business unit and is reported within QinetiQ’s EMEA Services division.