Qinetiq buys into Australia

Qinetiq is to purchase Ball Solutions and Novare Services, two Australian defence consulting companies, for a total £9m, subject to regulatory approval.

Ball Solutions, acquired from US company Ball Aerospace and Technologies, provides professional and consulting services to the Australian Department of Defence (ADD) and has annual revenues of £12.8m.

Novare has annual revenues of £2.7m and provides engineering and logistics services to the ADD, as well as several commercial contractors. The company’s core expertise is in explosive ordnance and weapons, aerospace systems, advanced technical data management and performance based contracting.

This is Qinetiq’s first investment in Australia and will give the company a presence in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.

‘These acquisitions reflect our confidence in the strength of the Australian defence market and will establish Qinetiq as a leading provider of independent advice services within the country,’ said Graham Love, Qinetiq group chief executive officer.