Release

The Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle once showed up in the corner of BAE Systems’ Warton site, almost out of sight. At first glance the jet-black body looked like a sculpture more than a warplane. That day in 2010 set off fresh talk in defense circles, and the story still grows even fifteen years on. The aircraft carries the name of a Celtic thunder god, yet its real weight sits in data files spread across labs from Lancashire to Canberra.

Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) confirmed a landmark move on January 28, 2004. The company announced its plan to purchase Mission Research Corporation (MRC) for roughly $230 million. That figure reflected a significant investment in technology meant for national security and homeland defense. ATK believed MRC’s expertise would help expand its focus beyond conventional munitions and into more advanced areas of aerospace and defense.

The United States okayed the largest single arms deal in Kosovo’s short history. Pristina can now order 246 Javelin FGM-148F missiles plus 24 Lightweight Command Launch Units, worth about $75 million. Officials in both capitals frame the move as key step in stiffening Kosovo’s frontline strength without dragging American troops back onto local soil.