An RX from DRS

Local tech firm works to keep Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles in top condition

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

By DONNA FORK

For the Times dfork@knology.net

Call them the tank doctors. DRS Technologies Test & Energy Management Inc. of Huntsville is in the business of tank-health management - "near-real-time monitoring of the ground-combat vehicle and performance," according to Gary P. Smith, president. The Huntsville facility is a division of DRS Technologies of Parsippany, N.J.

Acquired by several different companies over the years, the Huntsville business has focused on diagnostics and monitoring electronics for vehicles. Turning to military customers has caused the local division to flourish. It looks like the Huntsville division will continue to monitor the health of military vehicles such as the Abrams tank and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle into the foreseeable future.

The New Jersey company, with 35 divisions, employs 10,000 people. According to a corporate spokesperson, DRS Technologies expects to report $2.7 to $2.75 billion in sales for fiscal 2007, which closed March 31.

"That's significantly up from previous years," he added, an increase of about 25 percent. Huntsville payroll is also up, to 550, and will keep increasing.

"We're actively looking for another 50 people in engineering and manufacturing," Smith said.

The company's roots reach all the way back to 1952, when, as part of the Defense Division of Chrysler Corporation, a group of engineers came to Huntsville to participate in the development of the Redstone Missile. In 1962, the Missile Division was awarded the prime contract for the Saturn 1B rocket, the forerunner of the Saturn V rocket that carried Americans to the moon, according to information on the company's Web site.

After the Saturn 1B rocket efforts ended, Huntsville operations "downsized" and turned to the commercial market. This included the design, development, and production of a two-watt AM radio and a solid-state engine ignition module called the engine control unit (ECU), which was the start of a new division of automotive electronics in Huntsville. Also in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the company built over 6,000 TOW missiles for the Army, according to information on the company Web site.

In 1970 the company started work on the Abrams tank. The Huntsville Division of Chrysler designed, developed, and produced electronic assemblies and test equipment for the tank until 1982, when the tank manufacturing facility was sold to General Dynamics. At that time, the Huntsville military operation was known as Military/Public Electronic Systems.

In 1988 the company became known as Pentastar Electronics Inc, or PEI. PEI designed test systems for military diagnostics in a product called the Direct Electrical System Test Set, or DSESTS.

"That product line has generated $1 billion in 25 years to Huntsville," said Ken Winters, vice president, business development and advanced technologies. The DSESTS is still the primary test and diagnostic system in support of the Army's Abrams tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle and also the Marine Corp light-armored vehicles, or LAVs. It continues to be a major product line for the Huntsville division today.

Also in the 1970s, PEI entered the electric vehicle market through efforts with the Department of Energy to reduce dependence on foreign oil. The company turned to the military market and began introducing hybrid drive systems. It's still involved in hybrid development for the military today.

In 1997, a group of private investors bought the company. A year later, PEI Electronics was purchased by Veritas Capital, a New York investment firm. In 2003, the business was acquired by DRS Technologies of New Jersey and became a division of that company.

Under the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, there has been a push toward lighter, more mobile vehicles. It looked like the Bradley and the Abrams tanks might be terminated.

But with "the world situation," planners have realized "the great value in systems like the Bradley and the Abrams," Smith said. Instead of building an entirely new fleet of vehicles, it made more sense to upgrade existing ones.

That's good news for the Huntsville division of DRS, which has focused on the Bradley and Abrams tanks for years.

Refitting the tanks "is right in the sweet spot of what we do in Huntsville," Smith said.



An RX from DRS Local tech firm works to keep Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles in top condition Tuesday, April 10, 2007 By DONNA FORK For the Times dfork@knology.net Call them the tank doctors. DRS Technologies Test & Energy Management Inc. of Huntsville is in the business of tank-health management - "near-real-time monitoring of the ground-combat vehicle and performance," according to Gary P. Smith, president. The Huntsville facility is a division of DRS Technologies of Parsippany, N.J. Acquired by several different companies over the years, the Huntsville business has focused on diagnostics and monitoring electronics for vehicles. Turning to military customers has caused the local division to flourish. It looks like the Huntsville division will continue to monitor the health of military vehicles such as the Abrams tank and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle into the foreseeable future. The New Jersey company, with 35 divisions, employs 10,000 people. According to a corporate spokesperson, DRS Technologies expects to report $2.7 to $2.75 billion in sales for fiscal 2007, which closed March 31. "That's significantly up from previous years," he added, an increase of about 25 percent. Huntsville payroll is also up, to 550, and will keep increasing. "We're actively looking for another 50 people in engineering and manufacturing," Smith said. The company's roots reach all the way back to 1952, when, as part of the Defense Division of Chrysler Corporation, a group of engineers came to Huntsville to participate in the development of the Redstone Missile. In 1962, the Missile Division was awarded the prime contract for the Saturn 1B rocket, the forerunner of the Saturn V rocket that carried Americans to the moon, according to information on the company's Web site. After the Saturn 1B rocket efforts ended, Huntsville operations "downsized" and turned to the commercial market. This included the design, development, and production of a two-watt AM radio and a solid-state engine ignition module called the engine control unit (ECU), which was the start of a new division of automotive electronics in Huntsville. Also in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the company built over 6,000 TOW missiles for the Army, according to information on the company Web site. In 1970 the company started work on the Abrams tank. The Huntsville Division of Chrysler designed, developed, and produced electronic assemblies and test equipment for the tank until 1982, when the tank manufacturing facility was sold to General Dynamics. At that time, the Huntsville military operation was known as Military/Public Electronic Systems. In 1988 the company became known as Pentastar Electronics Inc, or PEI. PEI designed test systems for military diagnostics in a product called the Direct Electrical System Test Set, or DSESTS. "That product line has generated $1 billion in 25 years to Huntsville," said Ken Winters, vice president, business development and advanced technologies. The DSESTS is still the primary test and diagnostic system in support of the Army's Abrams tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle and also the Marine Corp light-armored vehicles, or LAVs. It continues to be a major product line for the Huntsville division today. Also in the 1970s, PEI entered the electric vehicle market through efforts with the Department of Energy to reduce dependence on foreign oil. The company turned to the military market and began introducing hybrid drive systems. It's still involved in hybrid development for the military today. In 1997, a group of private investors bought the company. A year later, PEI Electronics was purchased by Veritas Capital, a New York investment firm. In 2003, the business was acquired by DRS Technologies of New Jersey and became a division of that company. Under the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, there has been a push toward lighter, more mobile vehicles. It looked like the Bradley and the Abrams tanks might be terminated. But with "the world situation," planners have realized "the great value in systems like the Bradley and the Abrams," Smith said. Instead of building an entirely new fleet of vehicles, it made more sense to upgrade existing ones. That's good news for the Huntsville division of DRS, which has focused on the Bradley and Abrams tanks for years. Refitting the tanks "is right in the sweet spot of what we do in Huntsville," Smith said. © 2007 The Huntsville Times © 2007 al.com All Rights Reserved.