DYTECNA – DEMONSTRATING BREADTH AND INNOVATION
By Julian Nettlefold
“We need more Companies like Dytecna if the country is going to recover from the current downturn.” Mark Hoban M.P. said at the opening of the Dytecna Fareham facility Open Day on May 13th
Founded in 1947 by the Fulford family and still owned and managed by James Fulford (Chairman) and John Fulford (Managing Director), Dytecna is all too familiar with the changing face of the Defence Industry. We face great change again with the UK Defence Review and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
“Dytecna evolved from a printing service into drawing and then design providing mechanical and electrical expertise. In response to customer need Dytecna evolved again from design to engineering undertaking manufacture and installation. To enable supplied solutions to be supported in the field, Dytecna’s Support capability was developed; we now provide the most comprehensive range of Support Solutions in the UK market. Over the last 63-years Dytecna has used its innovative spirit and agility to flex and evolve with the market. The last five-years have seen Dytecna grow from a two-site 100 employee company, to 450 people over six locations. Our plan is to continue to grow and diversify to meet the emerging market challenges.” John Fulford said.
The legacy of six decades of Defence contracting has resulted in a company that knows how to respond to the customer’s need, whether that customer is the MOD or a Prime Contractor.
“You have established an international business with a turnover of approximately £50 million working with technologies from advanced defence electronics thru simulators to secure mobile phones, what do you see for the future?” The Editor asked.
“Through acquisition Dytecna’s core capabilities have widened to include blast and ballistic protection, electronics, systems and software. The Company has expanded to international markets through acquisitions and widened its sector scope to include the aviation sector with the provision of aviation ground power. Where opportunities exist to expand our capability or product offerings Dytecna will assess where, why and how these acquisitions enhance the overall capability of the organisation and in every case these opportunities are assessed as to whether the acquisition is the best route to market or whether internal investment is a more suitable option.” John Fulford continued.
“What are the emerging opportunities in the UK and overseas and how do we adapt to ensure Dytecna is here for the next 60-years?”
“We aim to provide engineering solutions in support of Land, Sea and Air and offering products including HUMS, Blast and Ballistic Protection, Aviation Ground Power, Platform Integration (ECM/Communications) and Vehicle Power Distribution, this is our core business.”
In response to the emerging needs of military land platforms Dytecna design, develop and manufacture special purpose electronic devices built to withstand the operations environment. Examples include rugged routers, Ethernet switches, crew displays, Generic Vehicle Architecture and power nodes. Fully defence qualified and built to last, Dytecna’s solutions fill the need when COTS equipment just will not do.
Fareham Open Day visitors were divided into Teams to enable Dytecna staff to give a comprehensive brief of the technologies currently being developed at Fareham. There were a number of technologies and capabilities on display including simulators in the form of the Rear Fuselage Trainer for the RAF Hercules C-130J of which one system has been delivered to RAF Lyneham with another on order for the USAF. Vehicle integration capability included an example of one of six Pinzgauer 6×6 vehicles for the British Army’s Watchkeeper programme and the homologation of an IVECO truck to carry a specialist drilling rig for the Royal Engineers. The Guardian Force Protection Surveillance System (FPSS) developed in associati