QinetiQ Group to acquire Air Affairs Australia
4 October 2022
QinetiQ Group announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Air Affairs Australia. The Australian special mission aircraft training business is a provider of threat representation and mission rehearsal products and services to Australian Defence and commercial customers.
“Air Affairs is a trusted partner to Australia’s Defence Organisation, delivering essential threat representation and mission rehearsal capabilities to the Australian war-fighter,” said Steve Wadey, Group Chief Executive Officer of QinetiQ. “Combined with QinetiQ’s global threat representation, test and evaluation expertise, the acquisition of Air Affairs will deliver even greater value to our Australian Defence customer.”
“The addition of Air Affairs brings enhanced service offerings in training, test and evaluation to QinetiQ Australia. We will have more than 800 Australians delivering vital services to our Defence and National Security Customers,” said Greg Barsby, Managing Director of QinetiQ Australia. “With our strategic investment in our Sovereign Test & Evaluation Skills Program, new Technology and Engineering Centre in Fishermans Bend and the acquisition of Air Affairs, we are continuing to build important training, test and evaluation, and engineering capability in Australia.”
“QinetiQ Australia is a natural fit for the Air Affairs team. From our investment in early careers and sovereign industrial capability, to delivering critical training opportunities that enhance Australian defence operational readiness, both companies are aligned in culture and strategy,”said Chris Sievers, Chief Executive Officer of Air Affairs Australia. “We see this as an exciting opportunity to unlock greater value for our Defence and industry customers.”
Air Affairs is an Australian defence services company – a leader in air threat representation, T&E, unmanned targets and mission rehearsal. Air Affairs provides targets and training services, and electronic warfare capabilities to the Australian Defence Force, as well as aerial surveillance and reconnaissance in support of government firefighting efforts. It owns and operates a fleet of special mission aircraft and maintains an advanced manufacturing and engineering facility providing design, manufacture and certification operations. Air Affairs employs c.180 people, headquartered in Nowra, New South Wales.
The acquisition of Air Affairs further establishes QinetiQ as a long-term, strategic partner to the Australian Defence Force and underpins QinetiQ’s strategic position as market leader in threat representation, training, test and evaluation.
Source: APDR