Finmeccanica looks toward Middle East with DRS

DRS Technologies will form a key pillar of Finmeccanica's drive to push into the international border control and homeland security markets over the coming years, with a heavy emphasis on opportunities in the Middle East.

The Italian group described how the decade's largest defence acquisition will change its global profile. Specifically, it is looking towards critical infrastructure protection opportunities in Saudi Arabia and civil infrastructure protection systems in Iraq, in addition to the provision of security systems for vessel traffic management from Europe to the United States.

The potential of levering DRS' capabilities beyond its core US market mirror comments from Finmeccanica Chief Executive Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, who commented after concluding the deal that it marked "a new era" in both the US internationally.

In North America itself, Finmeccanica noted on 11 March that developments since the deal closed in October 2008 have been "encouraging".

It noted the "potential to bring DRS capabilities onto future US military programmes together with Finmeccanica's helicopter and aircraft businesses".