24 January 2022
by Olivia Savage
Elbit Systems UK forms British industrial team to deliver UAS. (Elbit Systems UK)
Elbit Systems UK has formed and will lead a British industrial team of suppliers to compete for emerging unmanned aircraft system (UAS) programmes, the company announced on 20 January.
While Elbit Systems UK is experienced in UAS design and systems integration, the company hopes that utilising the skills of partner organisations and suppliers will enable the team to collectively deliver fully integrated and supported UAS capabilities. Co-operatively, Team Elbit intends to leverage their product portfolio, including the Skylark mini-UAS, to meet emerging requirements.
An Elbit Systems UK joint venture – UAV Tactical Systems (U-TacS) – will be one member of the team. Based in Leicester, U-TacS is responsible for delivering the Watchkeeper UAS to the British Army, and will contribute system integration, through-life support, and through-life management to the wider industrial team.
QinetiQ will join the group to drive innovation by “developing a collaborative supplier framework of leading UAS technology”, according to the announcement.
Meanwhile, the announcement revealed that Aviation Systems Group (ASG), a UAS specialist subject-matter expert, will support Team Elbit in the management of air safety and airworthiness, operational flight planning, and training.
01 July 2022
by Marc Selinger
Aerojet Rocketdyne tests a rocket engine's thrust chamber assembly. (Aerojet Rocketdyne)
A slate of candidates led by Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO Eileen Drake has won the publicly traded company's contentious election for board of directors, defeating a group led by executive chairman and major shareholder Warren Lichtenstein, the Drake team announced on 30 June.
The eight-member Drake slate received more than 75% of the votes cast, with Drake receiving over 83%, more than any other candidate, the CEO's group wrote in a press release. Drake's slate consists of four incumbent directors, including Drake, and four new directors.
“We look forward to putting this proxy fight behind us so we can continue to focus on creating value for our shareholders,” Drake said.
A spokesperson for the Lichtenstein slate declined to comment.
29 June 2022
by Marc Selinger
Meggitt provides ammunition handling systems for military aircraft, including the Apache attack helicopter. (Crown Copyright)
UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Kwasi Kwarteng is “minded to accept” the commitments that Parker Hannifin Corporation is offering to ease concerns about its proposed acquisition of Meggitt, the UK government announced on 28 June.
Kwarteng will not make a final decision on Parker's legally binding commitments, or “undertakings”, until a public comment period ends on 13 July, the government said.
Parker, which welcomed the announcement, is headquartered in the United States, and Meggitt is based in the United Kingdom. To address UK national security concerns about the deal, Parker has committed to honouring Meggitt's existing contracts with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and will notify the MoD if Meggitt's ability to supply the ministry changes. Parker has also agreed that UK nationals residing in the UK would continue to make up a majority of Meggitt's board of directors.
28 June 2022
by Ridzwan Rahmat
A computer-generated image of the OPV that will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries for the Philippine Navy. (Hyundai Heavy Industries)
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has secured a contract to supply the Philippine Navy with six new 2,400-tonne offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).
The contract, which was signed with the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) on 27 June, is valued at USD573 million, HHI disclosed in a media statement on the same day.
The OPV will have an overall length of 94.4 m and a width of 14.3 m. It will have a maximum speed of 22 kt, a cruising speed of 15 kt, and a maximum range of 5,500 n miles.
In terms of weapons, each OPV will be equipped with a 76 mm naval gun in the primary position and two 30 mm secondary guns, said HHI. The vessel will have a flight deck that can accommodate one helicopter and unmanned aerial vehicles.
“The OPV was designed by incorporating the Philippine Navy's OPV requirements to the proven Jose Rizal-class frigate platform,” said the company in reference to the service's two Jose Rizal-class vessels, which were also supplied by HHI.
Elbit Systems UK has formed and will lead a British industrial team of suppliers to compete for emer...
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