The chairman of Insitec, Andrew McNeill, has announced the completion of its acquisition of Horizon Defence Systems (HDS), a previously wholly-owned trading entity of Horizon Group Holdings.
Under the terms of the acquisition, all former HDS activities have been folded into the existing Insitec Military, Intelligence & Space Systems business, with HGH representatives being afforded two positions on the board of Insitec MIS Systems.
HDS initially brought together 15 companies under an R&D-led strategy to generate innovation targeted at evolving Integrated Soldier Systems (as canvassed in the inaugural Defence Integrated Investment Plan), and was formally launched at the 2018 Land Forces Exhibition.
Since that time, HDS has contested several major Defence business opportunities across the Land Combat and Amphibious Warfare, and Command, Control, Computing and Communications (C4ISR) capability domains. HDS has also successfully sponsored several innovative Defence Innovation HUB projects, including the concussion reduction in multiples (CRCX) combat helmet endeavour.
Insitec joined the HDS corporate-based Australian industry collaboration group over two years ago and has since played a lead role in substantiating the organisation’s bid for Joint Project 9111, the ADF's future Joint Command & Control capability technology and services business opportunity.
“The merger of HDS into the Insitec MIS Systems business completes the first tranche of a wider growth initiative within the Insitec Group enterprise undertaken over the first half of 2020, with the aim of developing our business capabilities to better focus on evolving ADF future military capability requirements, as canvassed in the 2020 Force Structure Plan," Insitec Managing Director, Michael Branch, said.
“Insitec will now focus on the delivery of Corporate Services to an overall expanded Insitec Group comprising three separate trading entities: Insitec ICT, Insitec People and Insitec MIS Systems (incorporating HDS). Andy McNeill has been promoted to General Manager for Insitec ICT, Alan Singer continues as the General Manager of Insitec People, and Jarrod Smith (formerly the Chief Operating Officer of HDS) has been appointed as General Manager of Insitec MIS Systems.”
“Being able to readily access the resources of HDS will enable the more rapid growth of the Insitec MIS portfolio of defence and national security community capability solutions over the coming months and years," Branch said.