The Company Making The Armed Robots Is Part Of The Carlyle Group

[norml]

The Talon robot is made by Foster-Miller. Foster-Miller is owned by QinetiQ. QinetiQ is part of The Carlyle Group. December 3, 2004

ORLANDO, Fla. (Army News Service, Dec. 3, 2004) – Soldiers may have armed robots as battle buddies by early next year, according to industry and military officials attending the biennial Army Science Conference.

The Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection System, or SWORDS, will be joining Stryker Brigade Soldiers in Iraq when it finishes final testing, said Staff Sgt. Santiago Tordillos, a bomb disposal test and evaluation NCOIC with the EOD Technology Directorate of the Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.

“We’re hoping to have them there by early 2005,” Tordillos said. “The Soldiers I’ve talked to want them yesterday.”

The system consists of a weapons platform mounted on a Talon robot, a product of the engineering and technology development firm Foster-Miller. The Talon began helping with military operations in Bosnia in 2000, deployed to Afghanistan in early 2002 and has been in Iraq since the war started, assisting with improvised explosive device detection and removal. Talon robots have been used in about 20,000 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Foster-Miller reports."

This is basically the bomb disposal robot with a gun, sighting & aiming system installed. All the technology is already proven stuff, just the first time it has been assembled this way in one package. So the thing should work as advertised. That will then be the spur to develop robots designed for combat from scratch. Since all the technology already exists, the design phase should not take long at all.

The robots do require a human to control them.





Foster-Miller, Inc. announced today that QinetiQ, Inc. has finalized its acquisition of the company. QinetiQ, Europe's largest science and technology solutions company, received final U.S. regulatory approval for the deal that was first announced on September 8, 2004. Foster-Miller will remain an American company, retaining its name and management team, and operate as a subsidiary of QinetiQ, North America.
Foster-Miller expects that the support from new ownership will lead to rapid growth and a 15 percent increase in employment over the next year. Foster-Miller has had a compounded growth rate of approximately 30 percent per year over the last four years. The company’s growth has been primarily driven by their product-development work in the commercial and defense markets.

According to Dr. William Ribich, CEO and President of Foster-Miller, “This will allow continued expansion and growth in the U.S., U.K. and around the globe. We will continue to be creative, flexible and responsive in providing solutions that will increase the competitive advantage of our customers.”

The acquisition of Foster-Miller will position QinetiQ as a leader in providing advanced technology solutions and is a key to accelerating QinetiQ’s entrance into the U.S. defense and security markets. Through their acquisition and growth strategy, QinetiQ expects its U.S.-based business to exceed $1 billion within five years.

“Foster-Miller is a recognized leader in providing innovative engineering solutions in fields such as robotics, advanced materials technology and medical devices,” comments Dr. David Anderson, President of QinetiQ, North America. “The acquisition of Foster-Miller is central to achieving QinetiQ’s goal of significantly growing business in the U.S.”

QinetiQ (pronounced ki’ ne tik) is Europe’s largest science and technology solutions company, with revenue of $1.5 billion in FY04. It employs over 9,000 staff, including many of the U.K.'s leading scientists and internationally acclaimed experts. Founded from the laboratories of the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MOD), today QinetiQ operates in markets as diverse as marine, energy, telecommunications, automotive, rail, electronics, defense, space, health, oil and gas, aerospace and information technology. Visit www.QinetiQ.com for further information.

Foster-Miller, Inc. is an engineering, development and manufacturing company located in Waltham, M.A., with additional offices in Albany, N.Y. and Washington, D.C. The firm was founded almost 50 years ago by three graduates of MIT who believed there was a need for a company that could solve clients’ difficult technical problems through first-class analysis and design. The company maintains a staff of more than 350 mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical, nuclear, aerospace, software and materials engineers as well as metallurgists, physicists, mathematicians, chemists, biologists and support staff working in the areas of transportation, robotics, advanced materials, custom machinery, power systems, biotechnology and aerospace.





December 05, 2002
# 2002-24
Sale of a Stake in QinetiQ PLC to The Carlyle Group

London - The Ministry of Defence has agreed the terms under which The Carlyle Group will become its strategic partner to assist in the future development of QinetiQ, Defence Minister Lewis Moonie announced today.

Dr Moonie said: "The strategic partnership with The Carlyle Group keeps QinetiQ on course to become a leading science and technology company that aspires to be the envy of the world. The Carlyle Group shares our vision for the future of QinetiQ and is well placed to support the management team in building a company, which we expect to flourish commercially, based on its commitment to excellence."

"QinetiQ will remain a British company based in the UK. MOD will retain a Special Share in the business to ensure that the nation's defence and security interests continue to be protected. There will also be robust safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest and to ensure that the integrity of the Government's procurement process is not compromised".

"This is good news for taxpayers, who will benefit from the immediate sale proceeds as well as from QinetiQ's potential increase in value over time. And it is good news for QinetiQ's employees who will have the opportunity to invest in the future of the business through a staff equity scheme and will each receive a small free allocation of share options. Today's announcement marks a new future for science and technology in Britain."

The sale follows MOD's decision in March this year to seek a strategic partner to invest in QinetiQ, and the selection of The Carlyle Group as preferred bidder in September. The transaction values QinetiQ at around £500m. Following adjustments to reflect current assets and liabilities, MOD will receive between £140 and £150m from the transaction (the final amount will depend on the company's exact financial position at completion), in addition to £50m already received from QinetiQ as part of the purchase price for its assets. Subject to the satisfactory fulfilment of a number of final conditions, formal completion of the sale process is expected early in the New Year,

Carlyle will acquire a 33.8% economic interest in QinetiQ with a further 3.7% of the shares to be made available for the employees. MOD's retention of a 62.5% current stake in the business will ensure that the taxpayer shares in the benefits of the growth in QinetiQ, which we anticipate will follow the introduction of a strategic partner. The MOD plans to sell its entire stake in QinetiQ within 3-5 years, probably through a flotation on the stock market.

Management control and responsibility for setting future commercial strategy will now lie with QinetiQ and The Carlyle Group, allowing them to make appropriate decisions to grow the value of the business. MOD will retain those rights which are conventional for a major shareholder.

QinetiQ's Board of Directors, chaired by Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, will be augmented by the appointment of two Carlyle nominees - Glenn Youngkin, a Managing Director of The Carlyle Group, and Sir Denys Henderson. MOD also has the right to appoint two non-executive directors.

Sir John Chisholm, QinetiQ's Chief Executive commented: "Working together, QinetiQ and The Carlyle Group will be a strong team with complementary experience. We can now be even more confident of achieving our ultimate goal of moving from a European leader to a global technological solutions provider for our diverse range of customers. Carlyle's investment secures a bright, long-term future for our business, our employees and our customers."

Glenn Youngkin, The Carlyle Group's Managing Director in London, commented: "We are impressed with the quality of the business and are looking forward to supporting such a capable and ambitious management team. We can see enormous opportunities to grow the value of the business, harnessing innovation to create profitable commercial applications."

[aquart]

1. Where will the spare parts be shipped from?

At least this way, George can't declare war on Europe. They make our weapons.

Of course, if they should declare war on US........

[norml]

4. From the future, same as the money to pay for everything.

Just ask Arnold.

[Silverhair]

2. You did good research norml, however....

the following bit is my own contribution from my original post, and not part of the original news article.

"This is basically the bomb disposal robot with a gun, sighting & aiming system installed. All the technology is already proven stuff, just the first time it has been assembled this way in one package. So the thing should work as advertised. That will then be the spur to develop robots designed for combat from scratch. Since all the technology already exists, the design phase should not take long at all.

The robots do require a human to control them."

That's the part I wrote. The stuff above that is from the news article at: http://www4.army.mil/news/article.php?story=6613

The rest is your excellent research. I am not being sarcastic. You really did great research.

[norml]

3. Sorry for inadvertently including your contribution to the news story.

Also for doing almost a copycat thread. The research took two Google searches. When the name of The Carlyle Group came up I thought it important enough to give that connection it's own thread. I'd been up late when I posted it.

[norml]

5. Not much of a shock anymore to DUers to find The Carlyle Group

involved in something, is it? :shrug:

[donsu]

6. Disney's secret labs has a hand in it too

nt