Alliant Techsystems
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Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) is a US aerospace and defense contractor with sales of approximately USD $4.2 billion (fiscal year 2008) [1] and strong positions[citation needed] in propulsion, composite structures, munitions, precision capabilities, and civil and sporting ammunition.
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[edit] Background
Alliant Techsystems was spun off from Honeywell in 1990. The company's headquarters are in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. ATK owns a number of well-known brands, including Thiokol, which produces rocket fuel and explosives, and Federal, which produces consumer ammunition. It provides most of the small caliber ammunition for US police and military units. ATK has a large share of the sporting ammunition market as well. The company is also a leader in providing "green" ammunition to hunters and to military organizations, greatly reducing the use of heavy metals (e.g., lead) in wetlands, training ranges and combat settings.
Since 2000, ATK has moved to compete for larger, more complex systems, and has won a number of contracts for guided weapons. The company has also acquired several smaller firms, including Mission Research Corporation, located in Santa Barbara, CA, an established contractor providing specialized, and often highly classified electronics to the USAF and other customers. ATK is said to be providing a number of innovative systems, including small low cost sensors for homeland security (monitoring for hazardous materials) and non-lethal beam weapons to disable people, cars, and explosives.
The firm makes a number of non-military products, such as propulsion systems for NASA. Nearly every NASA planetary probe has used some form of propulsion from the one of the company's divisions, and ATK also participated in the X-43A project. The company also produces the propulsion system used in the Trident D5 nuclear missile.
The company produces a number of controversial military products, including cluster bombs and depleted uranium rounds, which have both been mired in controversy. As a result, the company has been a target of peace movement protests, with weekly vigils held at Alliant Techsystems headquarters as well as occasional organized acts of civil disobedience.[2]
Unlike some defense contractors who have been very aggressive with protesters, ATK has generally taken a low-key approach, although some arrests for trespassing have taken place.
[edit] Acquisition of MDA Information Systems and Geospatial Businesses
On January 08 2008, ATK announced it had negotiated definitive agreements to acquire the information systems and geospatial businesses of the Canadian company, MDA (MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd). The terms of the sale came under scrutiny by the Canadian Government under concerns that it consisted of a sell-off of Canadian taxpayer-funded technology, and that it could have negatively impacted Canadian sovereignty and the Canadian space program. The acquisiton was rejected by the Canadian government on the grounds that it was not in Canada's best interest. [3] [4] [5] [6]
[edit] Corporate governance
Current members of the board of directors of Alliant Techsystems are: Frances Cook, Gilbert Decker, Ronald Fogleman, David E. Jeremiah, Roman Martinez, Robert RisCassi, Michael T. Smith, and William Van Dyke.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Alliant Techsystems Inc.
- RightWeb profile of Alliant Techsystems (ATK)
- SourceWatch profile of Alliant Techsystems (ATK)
- Alliant Action
[edit] Notes
- ^ AlliantTechsystems says: Corporate Profile Alliant Action
- ^ AlliantAction
- ^ http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/04/08/radarsat-committee.html
- ^ http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/04/03/tech-atk-satellites.html?ref=rss
- ^ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/03/20/tech-mda-extension.html
- ^ http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/01/11/tech-mda-space.html
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