Insitec has expanded the capability of its specialist Military, Intelligence & Space Systems (MIS) business following the successful takeover of Horizon Defence Systems.

Under the terms of the acquisition, all Horizon Defence Systems (HDS) activities have been folded into the existing Insitec MIS business, with two Horizon representatives joining the Insitec MIS board.

Insitec joined the HDS corporate-based Australian industry collaboration group over two years ago and has played a lead role in substantiating the organisation’s bid for Joint Project 9111, the Australian Defence Force’s future Joint Command & Control capability technology and services business opportunity.

According to Insitec Pty Ltd Managing Director, Michael Branch, “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 Australian Defence Force future military capability requirements, as canvassed in the 2020 Force Structure Plan.

Mr Branch added, “Insitec Pty Ltd 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.”

Speaking directly to the benefits of the HDS acquisition, Mr Branch said: “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. Since being established in 2017, HDS has assembled an impressive ecosystem of Australian industry collaborative members who will now become part of an expanding Insitec partner ecosystem. This will result in even more productive collaboration between two groups that already have an excellent working relationship, and we are confident the enhanced MIS Systems entity will shortly realise its first major business opportunity.”

The Chairman of HGH, Simon Truskett, said: “Joining HDS with the Insitec MIS Systems business is fully consistent with the founding principles of our organisation. The HGH Board has always maintained that activities such as inter-firm collaboration and market consolidation – achieved via the merging of complementary entities – provides an effective means to accelerating the ‘bulking-up’ of Australian defence-industrial capabilities in the quest to grow the nation’s sovereign Prime Systems Integrator base. Joining HDS with Insitec MIS Systems is an important first step to realising that ultimate vision.”