During April’s visit by HRH The Duke of Kent, Altanet Technologies boss Chris Newland showed the Duke the pioneering Flydrive Advent Dish that the company has designed and manufactured for Military and Media operational use.

Altanet were commissioned to make the 1.2 and 1.5 metre lightweight and transportable dishes that are able to be packed away in to a very small space. The composite dishes weigh just 32 kgs and now Altanet are working on a new 2.4 metre dish, motorised dish which it is hoped will follow the smaller versions which Altanet has set an industry trend with.

Altanet Technologies have been awarded a prestigious British Aerospace Chairman's bronze award. The awards are given annually to BAE employees/departments, and occasionally their key industrial partners involved in the programs.

The award given to Altanet is in recognition of the rapid service they provided to BAE SYSTEMS in the design, tooling and production of the Talisman UUV. This included the entire redesign of the initial concept vehicle and the production of the working prototype model. This has enabled BAE to be in an excellent position to take advantage of some up and coming lucrative business from the US Navy.

Without Altanets assistance in this program BAE would have simply missed the boat. Both internal sources within BAE SYSTEMS that normally provide composite structures to their own group had quoted lead-times that effectively terminated the program on both timescales and cost. BAE SYSTEMS sites Warton and Barrow in Furness have also now invited Altanet to become a supplier to their businesses.