Training systems wins $18 million Australian DoD contract
Meggitt PLC (“Meggitt” or “the Group”), a leading international company specialising in high performance components and sub-systems for the aerospace, defence and energy markets announces that its Meggitt Training Systems division has been awarded an USD $18 million contract from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under the Hardened & Networked Army (HNA) and Enhanced Land Force (ELF) Phase 3 program. The award follows several recent largely international deals totalling over USD $40 million involving simulators for the Italian Ministry of Defence, Kuwait’s Police Governorate Headquarters and the Singapore Armed Forces, plus live-fire targetry systems for the US Army’s Targetry Systems programme.
Ron Vadas, President, Meggitt Training Systems commented: ‘These awards are testament to the broad appeal beyond the United States of our industry-leading training products. In particular, Meggitt Training Systems is meeting with great success upgrading legacy virtual systems with the latest configurations, fielding user-friendly systems while improving overall training lifecycle costs.’
Defence agencies around the world continue to identify ways to improve military readiness despite ever-tightening budgets. The ADF continues to see simulation as a means of minimising the costs associated with live fire training while ensuring its ground forces are well trained and ready to deploy. Using a combined weapons training strategy, agencies can train within a virtual environment more often, reducing large live-fire training exercises without sacrificing training effectiveness. Networked Weapon Training Simulation Systems (WTSSs) allow the ADF to train within virtual environments around the world without the logistical burden and costs associated with transporting personnel and equipment to one location.
Meggitt has supplied simulation systems to the ADF since 1999. Since then, two upgrades have been undertaken for the WTSS and IFT systems. Meggitt is in the final phase of delivering the HNA/ELF Phase 2.
Under the HNA/ELF Phase 3 contract, Meggitt will provide hardware and software upgrades to 18 existing WTSS facilities throughout Australia, adding mortar crew and collective training to existing individual marksmanship training capabilities. The contract includes developing and delivering simulators for 52 to 81mm mortars; 14-upgraded 0.50 cal heavy machine guns; new BlueFire® Browning pistols; and an 84mm Carl Gustav anti-tank weapon with new ammunition types.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Meggitt PLC
Richard Cashin, Investor Relations Tel: 01202 597597
Buchanan
Charles Ryland, Jeremy Garcia and Helen Greenwood Tel: 0207 466 5000
Editor’s notes:
About Meggitt Training Systems
Meggitt Training Systems, makers of FATS® and Caswell technologies, a division of Meggitt PLC, is the leading supplier of integrated live-fire and virtual weapons training systems, unmanned land and sea vehicles, aerial targets and electronic scoring systems. Over 13,000 Meggitt live-fire ranges and 5,100 virtual systems are fielded internationally, providing judgmental, situational awareness and marksmanship training to the armed forces, law enforcement and security organizations.
Meggitt Training Systems employs more than 400 people at its headquarters in Atlanta and at facilities in Orlando, Canada, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, UAE, Australia and Singapore. It can deploy service personnel anywhere in the world for instructor training, system installation and maintenance.
Meggitt PLC
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Meggitt PLC is an international group operating in North America, Europe and Asia. Known for its specialized extreme environment engineering, Meggitt is a world leader in aerospace, defense and energy. Meggitt employs over 11,000 people at over 40 manufacturing facilities and regional offices worldwide.