News

QinetiQ announces that it has signed an agreement with the US Defense Counterintelligence & Security Agency (DCSA) to operate all of its US defence and security operations under a new Special Security Agreement (SSA).

This agreement replaces the prior Proxy Agreement for the QinetiQ North America business and also covers all operations undertaken through the recent MTEQ acquisition (completed in December 2019).

The SSA enables the bringing together of all of QinetiQ’s US defence and security operations under a single entity, QinetiQ Inc, and as a single QinetiQ brand. This agreement fundamentally changes and improves how QinetiQ approaches the largest defence market in the world and is a major milestone in the growth strategy for QinetiQ.

The US business is led by Mary Williams, former MTEQ President and CEO. The Board is set in accordance with DCSA standards and comprises The Honorable John Hillen (QinetiQ Inc Chair), Steve Wadey (QinetiQ CEO), David Smith (QinetiQ CFO), Directors Dr Pamela Drew and Tom Mills, with Mary Williams.

The unified US business employs 700 people across our main sites in Virginia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and combines world leading expertise in robotics and autonomy with our sensors and integration capability. These aligned capabilities and support from the wider Group are key to QinetiQ’s US growth strategy, enabling QinetiQ to create a business focused on ‘mission-led innovation’; a strategy that will deliver solutions critical to next generation warfighting capability for the US.

QinetiQ’s recent win of the Robotic Combat Vehicle Light (RCV-L) programme is a great example of the strength of the combined capabilities of the new QinetiQ US business, leveraging the combination of expertise in advanced sensors, robotics and autonomy.

Steve Wadey, QinetiQ Group Plc CEO, said:

“Building on the acquisition of MTEQ, this new Special Security Agreement enables us to fundamentally reset the way we go to market as an integrated global defence and security company. The way we have come together as a new team, and worked with the DCSA, to achieve the signing of this vital change at pace is notable. The SSA will enable much greater levels of collaboration, making it easier to build integrated business capture teams and to leverage investment across the Group. It will have a profound and positive impact on the way we work, building bigger propositions that add value to the US warfighter.”

Mary Williams, QinetiQ Inc President and CEO, said:

“We are now able to move to our next phase of integration for our US business, seeking to fully leverage the range of talent within our US business, and tapping into the capabilities and investments of QinetiQ. This is an exciting time as we develop and execute our mission-led innovation strategy to deliver the adaptable products and services that our armed forces need, and at a pace that exceeds their expectations.”