William Lynn: Partnerships With Israeli Firms Help DRS Field Tech Platforms in Support of US Military

William Lynn, chairman and CEO of DRS Technologies, has said partnerships with Israel-based firms have helped DRS facilitate the integration and deployment of Israel-made technology platforms in the U.S. market in support of the U.S. military.

Lynn told Defense News bureau chief Barbara Opall-Rome in an interview published Monday that DRS has secured a potential $400 million contract to supply the U.S. Army with an Israel Military Industries-built M1A2-based assault bridging system.

DRS has begun to integrate the Trophy active protection system from Israel-based Rafael with the U.S. military’s M1 battle tanks and plans to compete for the Army’s Common Robotics System-I program that is valued at approximately $400 million, Lynn said.

He also cited the company’s partnerships with Israel-based firms such as Rada Electronic Industries and Beit-el Industries in order to introduce their tactical radars, filtration systems and other platforms to the U.S. market.

Lynn told Defense News that the “not made here” mentality is a “thing of the past.”

“If you look at all the defense companies now, they all have global supply bases…  So I think it’s inevitable that you’ll see a more international defense industrial base, which is a good thing ultimately for the U.S. taxpayer,” he added.