Pacific Aerospace Consulting joins defence company Aurizn

19 November 2024 Consultancy.com.au

The Australian arm of Pacific Aerospace Consulting has joined Adelaide-based defence technology specialist Aurizn.

With a sister organisation based in the US, the Australian branch of Pacific Aerospace Consulting (PAC) was established in Canberra in 2005 with a focus on delivering operational solutions geared towards the aerospace sector.

Aurizn said the strategic acquisition would enhance its capabilities in cybersecurity, systems integration, and mission planning among other areas, positioning it as a Tier 2 defence technology business with over 300 professionals.

“Aurizn has always had a strong vision for growth in the defence sector, filling the space between the primes and the smaller but often highly capable end of the market,” said Brett Sangster, who recently took over as Aurizn CEO. “Given the strong demand for sovereign capability, we’re excited at how our growth will deliver both service and scale to answer that need.”

Backed by Pemba Capital Partners, Aurizn was formed in 2022 via the merger of South Australian software engineering companies Consilium and elmTEK, both of which had served the defence sector for more than a decade. Earlier this year, Aurizn added commercial specialist McR Defence from law firm McCullough Robertson, bringing in Sangster to take over as chief.

A former managing director at Downer, Sangster said Aurizn would continue to seek out acquisition opportunities to support the firm’s growth agenda, including with a view to PAC’s American business. Meanwhile, Pacific Aerospace Consulting co-founder and US CEO Eric Rambow will join Aurizn as an executive director, alongside former elmTek and QinetiQ leaders Ganen Ganeswaran and Bjorn Wharff.

“Aurizn are market leaders for advanced STEM, simulation and technology,” Rambow said of his decision to join the firm, noting PAC’s track record in assisting the transfer of capabilities between the US and Australia. “Together, the companies provide a significant uplift in sovereign capability, while leveraging the coalition knowledge needed in the current threat environment.”

Pacific Aerospace Consulting recently claimed its second consecutive Defence Support Business of the Year title at the Australian Aviation Awards, and was noted by Aurizn for its strong reputation in operations-focused engineering and systems integration along with its technical expertise in specialist areas such as communications, tactical data link networks, and mission enablement.