BUSINESS NEWS
01 Sep 09. DRS Technologies, Inc. announced today it has become the world’s number one supplier of uncooled infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs), jumping from fifth position in 2006, according to a new report by leading industry analyst Maxtech International, Inc. of Fairfield, Connecticut. Uncooled FPAs are the core sensor technology found in critical equipment of soldiers on the battlefield such as thermal weapon sights, handheld thermal imaging cameras and Driver’s Vision Enhancers (DVE). This technology enables the operator to penetrate battlefield smoke, dust, sand and fog across great distances in even the most extreme environments – Day or Night.
“This achievement was to some extent a matter of being in the right place, with the right products, at the right time,” said Chris Wright, senior vice president of Business Development for the Reconnaissance, Surveillance & Target Acquisition (RSTA) business group of DRS Technologies. “The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have fueled the demand for uncooled infrared-imaging devices such as Thermal Weapon Sights and Driver’s Vision Enhancers. We were able to capture key U.S. military contracts for these products – and in the case of the DVEs – the sole supplier for the largest U.S. Army DVE program of record. These awards have been instrumental in propelling us from fifth to first.”
Wright also attributes this success to DRS leadership, who realized early on that advanced uncooled FPA technology would proliferate if it could be made both affordable and reliable. “As a result, we’ve made significant capital investments in our detector technologies since 2007, including the expansion of our Dallas, Texas-based wafer fabrication, assembly and production capabilities. In addition, we have accelerated the development and fabrication of next-generation detector technologies. These initiatives have resulted in an increase of our production staff to meet the soaring demand for our detector modules,” stated Wright.
DRS’ management of these contracts has been equally important to the company’s climb to the top of the market-share rankings, said Maxtech International’s Gabor F. Fulop, Ph.D. “This company has done a wonderful job of developing electro-optical technologies and scaling up the manufacturing processes to address the needs of today’s military users,” Dr. Fulop said. “We are proud of the role our technologies play in supporting the warfighter, as they detect and counter threats that can’t be seen by the naked eye,” said Terry Murphy, president of RSTA. “These products help save lives and help achieve the military’s mission objectives. These are priorities we jointly share with our customer.”
01 Sep 09. Raytheon Company has entered into an agreement to acquire BBN Technologies, a privately-held world leader in research and development, and provider of critical solutions for national defense and security missions. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2009 subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The transaction is not expected to materially impact revenue or earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2009, and is expected to be accretive in 2010. Terms of the agreement are not being disclosed. BBN’s diverse portfolio encompasses a range of technologies including advanced networking, speech and language technologies, information technologies, sensor systems, and cybersecurity. The company’s deep scientific and engineering talent aligns well with Raytheon’s expertise and commitment to excellence. “BBN brings world class people, technologies and capabilities to Raytheon and our customers,” said William H. Swanson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Raytheon Company. “We expect all of our businesses to benefit from the application of BBN’s research and development expertise and technologies across our product lines and programs. BBN’s rich technology heritage makes this a natural fit.” BBN Technologies has a