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38-523: The burials were found in 2003 during roadworks being carried out on behalf of Qinetiq , the contractor that operates the Boscombe Down military airfield. The site is near a group of houses (known as Lower Camp) in Amesbury which are associated with the airfield (which lies to the east). The grave contained the remains of at least nine individuals including several juveniles, five adult males and

76-533: A Special Security Arrangement which allows it to work independently and separately on some of the most sensitive United States defense programs despite its foreign ownership. It has also spun off some of its technologies into new companies, such as Omni-ID Ltd . It is currently a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index . "QinetiQ" is an invented name. " Qi " is supposed to reflect the company's energy, "net" its networking ability, and "iq" its intellectual resources. The name

114-470: A bone toggle, flint tools, and eight Beaker vessels; an unusually high number. The burials are thought to date from around 2500 - 2200 BCE, making them broadly contemporary with the Amesbury Archer who had been found the year before about half a kilometre to the south. The broad date range is an artefact of the ranges of radiocarbon dates for different remains and archaeologists believe the grave

152-511: A large advertising campaign. The issue was partially resolved by allowing some brokerage firms to place orders in the IPO as part of a combined order, allowing the firm to purchase as though an institutional investor but on behalf of clients. While this did not result in a public campaign or retail investor discounts, it did allow many investors to purchase shares. Upon its floating on 10 February 2006, QinetiQ had an IPO of 200p per share, resulting in

190-591: A market value of £1.3bn. On 13 February 2006, shares closed at 219.5p, valuing it at over £1.4bn. Speculation that a consortium including QinetiQ was about to win a £10bn MoD training contract helped push their share price back above 190p in early November 2006. It was announced on 17 January 2007 that the QinetiQ-led Metrix consortium was the preferred bidder for package one of the MoD's Defence Training Rationalisation programme, worth approx £16bn. In 2007,

228-527: A stock exchange float would take place. In September 2004, QinetiQ acquired the US defence companies Westar Corporation and Foster-Miller , maker of the Talon robot. Also in 2004, it acquired HVR Consulting Services a leading UK-based engineering consultancy. In early August 2005, the company announced it would acquire Apogen Technologies, Inc. , pending regulatory approval; according to QinetiQ's website,

266-646: The Carlyle Group , an American private equity firm, publicly declared its intention to purchase a large stake in QinetiQ. In February 2003, the Carlyle Group completed the acquisition of a 33.8% share for £42 million. Prior to QinetiQ's flotation years later, ownership of the firm was divided between the MoD (56%), Carlyle Group (31%) and staff (13%). The Carlyle Group was expected to remain invested in QinetiQ for between three and five years, after which

304-507: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) would retain a 'special share' in the company, while safeguards would be in place to prevent conflicts of interest. By April 2002, while QinetiQ had taken steps to operate on a commercial basis and saw third parties as its key growth area, 80% of its annual sales was reportedly being derived from the UK MoD. It was observed that QinetiQ's close relationship with

342-537: The National Audit Office conducted an inquiry into the privatisation to determine whether UK taxpayers received good value for money. The inquiry looked at the following issues: In November 2007, the NAO reported that taxpayers could have gained "tens of millions" more and was critical of the incentive scheme given to QinetiQ managers, the 10 most senior of whom gained £107.5m on an investment of £540,000 in

380-629: The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list. During 2005, QinetiQ was accused by union officials of its employees exhibiting higher than average levels of stress-related depression , a finding that was strongly denied by the company. On March 25, 2021, a worker was seriously injured at a QinetiQ-run Ministry of Defence facility in Pendine, Carmarthen. The company's services and products include: Defence Evaluation and Research Agency The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency ( DERA )

418-588: The 1990s to develop new and more effective RFID technologies. On 9 February 2007, the Carlyle Group sold its remaining 10.3% stake in the group at 205p per share, resulting in a £290 million return on its original investment. During September 2008, the MoD sold its remaining 18.9% holding in QinetiQ at 206p per share, raising £254 million. The British government retained its 'special share', giving it control over any potential takeover. In February 2020, QinetiQ acquired military training specialist Newman & Spurr Consultancy Ltd for £14 million. In November 2022, it

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456-692: The Long Term partnering Agreement (LTPA) with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide test and evaluation services and manage military ranges. It is a major stakeholder in the UK Defence Technology Centre , which places military research contracts on behalf of the MoD. QinetiQ has a 25-year Maritime Strategic Facilities Agreement (MSCA) with the MoD to provide strategic maritime facilities and capabilities, including hydromechanic facilities at Haslar, biomedical facilities on

494-480: The MoD gave it a competitive edge over most private-sector rivals. Initially, QinetiQ was entirely owned by the British government; it was planned for a stock market flotation of the firm to be conducted sometime during 2002. However, this flotation was postponed; according to aerospace industry periodical Flight International , a lack of investor confidence was the principal reason for the delay. In late 2002,

532-631: The Paramarine software suite of ship and submarine design tools. On 12 January 2006, an announcement was made in Parliament by John Reid , Secretary of State for Defence, regarding the pending floatation of QinetiQ. Reid stated that the Carlyle Group 'will continue to retain a significant stake in the company', and that the government would continue to hold a ' golden share ' to protect the UK's security and defence interests. On 10 February 2006, QinetiQ

570-417: The UK's South Coast, and submarine structures, survivability and shock testing facilities at Rosyth. The QinetiQ Group comprises QinetiQ EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Australasia) and QinetiQ North America. QinetiQ North America, which was set up after the takeover of Foster-Miller , is a wholly owned subsidiary of QinetiQ, but remains independent and separated from the QinetiQ group by a proxy agreement with

608-566: The US Transportation Security Administration for railway stations and airports. During August 2008, QinetiQ's Zephyr , a solar powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), performed a non-stop flight spanning 14 days; this was a world record for the longest duration unmanned flight. Over the following years, Qinetic performed further record-breaking flights of the UAV. During summer 2018, an improved model of

646-399: The US government and its agencies, was announced. The disposal of Aerospace Filtration Systems (formerly part of Westar) was announced at the same time. In June of that year, QinetiQ announced that Apogen Technologies Inc., its US subsidiary, had completed the acquisition of 3H Technology LLC, a specialist IT company with US government and commercial clients. In October, the company completed

684-470: The US to comply with US laws that prevent sensitive technology coming under the control of a foreign venture that takes over a US company. The major UK sites are at Farnborough , Hampshire (the historical Royal Aircraft Establishment ) and Malvern, Worcestershire (the historical RSRE / RRE / TRE ). QinetiQ is one of the ten largest UK employers of science and engineering graduates, recruiting around 150 per year. Between 2002 and 2006, it has appeared in

722-687: The Wessex Gallery of Archaeology, which opened at the Salisbury Museum in 2014. The bowmen feature as characters in Mark Patton 's novel Undreamed Shores , and part of the storyline is based on the circumstances of their burial. Qinetiq QinetiQ ( / k ɪ ˈ n ɛ t ɪ k / as in kinetic ) is a multinational defence technology company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire . It operates primarily in

760-486: The Zephyr conducted an even-longer flight, lasting nearly 26 days. The Zephyr UAV has been offered as a commercial product, the programme having been acquired by multinational aerospace company Airbus Group . QinetiQ have been involved in the further development of the Zephyr, such as the provision of LIDAR payload for the type. QinetiQ has a 25-year T3E (Test, Trials, Training and Evaluation) agreement formerly called

798-437: The acquisition of Boldon James Holdings Limited , a UK-based provider of software for high end secure messaging, primarily for military, government and security customers worldwide. In March 2007, QinetiQ spun off a new company, Omni-ID Ltd ; this entity specialises in the commercial opportunities for passive UHF radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. Prior to the spin off, a research team at QinetiQ had been active since

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836-770: The company announced the launch of a strategic collaboration with information security firm Nexor to pool their cyber security portfolios. During 2016, QinetiQ released a whitepaper on the topic, which identified employee behaviour as a major contributing factor in the majority of security breaches. QinetiQ has partnered with mobile phone network provider Vodafone to support end-to-end internet security services. QinetiQ provides technology-based products and services to numerous government and commercial customers. More than 2,000 of QinetiQ subsidiary Foster-Miller's Talon robots have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan , most used to remotely locate and disable roadside bombs. QinetiQ's SPO stand-off threat detection system has been sold to

874-405: The company's shares. The return of 19,990% was described as "excessive" by the NAO. The role of QinetiQ's management in negotiating terms with the Carlyle Group while the private equity company was bidding for the business was also criticised by the NAO. Carlyle bought a third of the business for £42m, which grew in value to £372m in less than four years. However, the Ministry of Defence defended

912-452: The cremated remains of an infant. Analysis of the skulls suggests that the men and the teenager were related to each other. The eldest man was buried in a crouched position with the bones of the others scattered around him, and their skulls resting at his feet. They became known as the Bowmen because several flint arrowheads were placed in the grave. Other grave goods included a boar's tusk,

950-813: The defence, security and critical national infrastructure markets and run testing and evaluation capabilities for air, land, sea and target systems. As a private entity, QinetiQ was created in April 2001; prior to this its assets had been part of Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), a now-defunct British government organisation. While a large portion of DERA's assets, sites, and employees were transferred to QinetiQ, other elements were incorporated into Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), which remains in government ownership. Some former DERA locations have thus become key sites for QinetiQ. These include Farnborough, Hampshire; MoD Boscombe Down , Wiltshire; and Malvern, Worcestershire . In February 2006, QinetiQ

988-514: The purchase came at a cost of $ 288.0m (£162.7m). In September 2005, the company acquired a 90% share of Verhaert Design and Development NV (VDD), a Belgian space systems integrator. In October that year, it acquired Broadreach Networks Limited, a supplier of Wi-Fi internet equipment to the European rail industry, and in February 2006, it bought Graphics Research Corporation Ltd, developer of

1026-560: The sale to be delayed, but was over-ruled by the Treasury, which had convinced the Ministry of Defence to go ahead. Controversy also arose around the fact that retail investors were excluded from the initial public offering (IPO) due to QinetiQ's complexity and that institutional investors would require less complicated marketing and financing. This led to contrasts with the 'Sid' campaign for British Gas plc in 1986, where retail investors were encouraged to buy shares, with discounts and

1064-447: The sale: In January 2007, the company bought Analex , a US corporation that provides high technology professional services, principally to the US government and its agencies. It was originally incorporated in 1964 under the name Biorad and evolved into Hadron , a US government systems consulting firm. In February 2007, the acquisition of ITS Corporation, a provider of IT services to

1102-455: The staff and most of the facilities) of DERA, with Dstl assuming responsibility for those aspects which were best done in government. A few examples of the work undertaken by Dstl include nuclear , chemical , and biological research . In the time since the split both organisations have undergone significant change programmes. QinetiQ has increased its focus on overseas research with a number of US and other foreign acquisitions, whereas Dstl has

1140-476: Was a part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) between 1995 and 2 July 2001. At the time it was the United Kingdom's largest science and technology organisation. It was regarded by its official history as 'a jewel in the crown' of both government and industry. DERA was formed in April 1995 as an amalgamation of: The chief executive throughout DERA's existence was John Chisholm . DERA's staffing level

1178-483: Was adopted in early 2001 as a marker of Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) privatisation; the rebranding reportedly cost £400,000. In early 2001, defence minister Lewis Moonie announced the creation of QinetiQ via the privatisation of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). At the time, Moonie stated that the entity would remain a British business, being based in the UK, and that

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1216-470: Was announced QinetiQ had completed the acquisition of the McLean -headquartered provider of cybersecurity and data analytics software to US government agencies, Avantus Federal for $ 590 million USD. During mid-2013, reports emerged that Chinese hackers had allegedly compromised sensitive military research being performed by QinetiQ. It was claimed that, between 2007 and 2010, QinetiQ's North American business

1254-528: Was around 9,000 scientists, technologists and support staff. DERA was split into two organisations, based on short-lived transition bodies known as PDERA ("privatised" DERA) - becoming a commercial firm, QinetiQ - and "RDERA" ( "retained" in Government DERA) - becoming the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). At the split, QinetiQ was formed from the majority (about 3/4 of

1292-577: Was floated on the London Stock Exchange . The privatisation process was subject to an inquiry by the UK's National Audit Office , which was critical of the generous incentive scheme available to the company's management. QinetiQ has completed numerous acquisitions of defence- and technology-related companies, primarily those that are based in the United States , and is a trusted supplier to the US government. QinetiQ USA operates under

1330-426: Was floated on the London Stock Exchange . The valuation of the company, and of how much taxpayers would benefit from QinetiQ's privatisation, was a subject of considerable debate and controversy. The company had been valued at between £1.1bn and £1.3bn, with the MoD holding estimated to be worth £616m – £728m, the Carlyle Group's holding £341m – £403m, and staff/management's holding worth £143m – £169m. Controversy

1368-413: Was generated by the very large returns generated for both the Carlyle Group and senior managers at the company; reportedly Sir John Chisholm is speculated to have benefitted by over £20 million alone. Lord Moonie , who handled the initial sale, stated in 2006 that the government's 31 per cent stake should not have been sold when equity markets were languishing in 2002. Moonie said that he had argued for

1406-560: Was in use over a much shorter timescale of 25–50 years. Lead isotope analysis of the men's teeth has indicated that they grew up in the areas either of modern Wales or in the Lake District , but left in childhood. This was at first thought to be contemporary with the major building work of erecting the sarsen circle and the trilithons at Stonehenge but research published in 2007 indicates that these burials occurred shortly after Stonehenge Phase 3ii. The finds are on display at

1444-558: Was the subject of a cyber-attack . At the time of the incidents, the company said it disclosed all of its breaches to the responsible government agencies and these were resolved to their satisfaction. The Pentagon has stated that it still entrusts QinetiQ with sensitive defence technology. The issue of cyber security affected other organisations; a Pentagon report stated that various US government agencies had been victims of cyberattacks. QinetiQ provides auditing and consultancy services on cyber security to third party businesses. In 2011,

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