KBR and Rheinmetall Defense Sept. 12 submitted a Joint Venture (JV) bid to acquire the Defense Support Group (DSG), a Ministry of Defense (MoD) Trading Fund that provides military vehicle maintenance and repair services to the United Kingdom armed forces.
DSG provides the MoD with secure access to assured onshore capacity and capability for maintenance, repair, overhaul, upgrade and procurement support services for defense equipment.
The companies said they offer a unique partnership able to transform and develop the DSG. Under KBR Rheinmetall ownership, DSG will become a center of excellence for defense engineering and remain a trusted partner, implementing the British Army’s strategy for equipment support.
Competition for the work is also expected to come from U.S. defense companies such as General Dynamics [GD] and DynCorp International.
DSG’s highly skilled workforce will remain critical to the company’s future success. Both KBR and Rheinmetall Defense U.K. are committed to maintaining and developing their excellent reputation, Andrew Pringle, KBR Infrastructure, Government and Power, Europe, Middle East and Africa business unit president, said.
“KBR is confident that its long track record of program delivery working with the MoD over the last 25 years, including experience in building and operating the existing DSG facility in Camp Bastion Afghanistan, will make for a very strong contender,” Pringle said. “With innovative thinking, I am confident we will provide a more efficient, value for money and agile solution.”
Deniz Akituerk, director Rheinmetall Defense U.K., said, “Rheinmetall is a key supplier to the British Army. The combination of Rheinmetall’s land systems engineering capability, KBR’s unparalleled project management skills and the knowledge and dedication of the DSG workforce makes a compelling case for the acquisition of DSG. We are proud to have the opportunity to take on the responsibility of owning DSG along with our partner KBR. Together, we will ensure that DSG remains a flexible and reliable element of the Army support system, while we invest in developing the business to address the new sectors in the UK and overseas.”