QinetiQ grows in US as jet ski joins robot line-up

Defence equipment developer QinetiQ, known for its James Bond-style gadgets, is booming in the US, having added an unmanned jet ski to its range of bomb-disposal and reconnaissance robots.

The company now has more than 2000 robots in combat situations round the world, having sold 800 in the past year.

QinetiQ, formerly the Ministry of Defence technology arm, said the jet ski, named Sentry, will provide military and civilian users with a fast, cost-effective and efficient inshore vessel for reconnaissance and security roles.

The craft can be operated from a laptop fromup to 16 nautical miles away. Chief executive Graham Love said sales soared 17.5% in North America as its targeting of the homeland security market paid off, with sales of robots and listening equipment surging strongly.

"The North American business is really powering ahead and we are now the leading provider of military robots in the world," Love added.

He believes the next important technology for the company will be its Zephyr high-altitude unmanned air vehicle (UAV), a solar-powered carbon-fibre aircraft that can stay aloft for more than 50 hours, providing a platform for surveillance and communications.

Other big sellers include the EARS listening device that can detect and lock on to sniper fire, tracking bullets to their origin.

The current wave of conflicts involving the US has driven the company's revenue up almost 19% to £1.37 billion compared with last year. It now has sales in the US of more than $1 billion (£505 million).

Net profit fell to £51.4 million from £89.3 million last year as a result of restructuring charges that will see 320 jobs go by the first quarter of the new financial year.

Organic revenue growth in the UK was almost 5% despite uncertain times for defence spending. QinetiQ has established three new businesses in Australia, where it is an adviser to the government, and plans to establish those before setting its sights on Asian markets including the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and India.