Excellence Awards 2022: the winners

Below you can find all the winners from the 2022 Excellence Awards which celebrate the greatest achievements and innovations in the industry. The programme provides a platform to recognise the people and companies that are driving change.

Our programme is designed to highlight excellence within the sector by looking at a range of corporate activities including deals, business projects and company initiatives, both internal and in the community.

You can also download our full Awards & Rankings Report which includes all of this year’s rankings, as well as the awards winners, shortlists and company profiles.

Business Expansion is one of our largest categories and looks at the core functions of business operations within the sector.

This consists of any projects that have expanded the company’s footprint in the sector, including: contract wins; launching in new territories; launching new product lines; the acquisition and expansion of facilities and real estate; acquisition of new machinery or other assets; improved logistics; partnerships; and significant staff increases.

Lockheed Martin wins in our Business Expansion category after another successful year which saw the company secure notable contracts related to equipment such as Sentinel radar, THAAD systems, M299 and M270 launchers. The company also pursued partnerships with the likes of Microsoft and AT&T

• BAE Systems
• Elbit Systems
• Lockheed Martin
• Rheinmetall
• Saab
• Thales

Innovation is the category with one of the widest scopes within the Excellence Rankings as it looks at novel new approaches in every area, from the fruits of research and development to novel new business practices. What all the ranked entities have in common is the demonstration of new concepts not just within their own business but in the sector as a whole.

The category includes any projects that demonstrate an innovative approach to the market. The category crosses over with many of our other categories and can include new products, novel product features, new business practices, new marketing and sales strategies and more.

Northrop Grumman wins the Innovation award after making a number of notable advances this year. These include the demonstration of a 300kW class high-energy laser prototype, and the further evolution of the Integrated Battle Command System, which was demonstrated as part of INDOPACOM’s Valiant Shield exercise.

• Collins Aerospace
• Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
• General Atomics
• General Dynamics
• Kratos
• Lockheed Martin
• Northrop Grumman
• Raytheon
• Rheinmetall
• US Army

The Investments category looks at any significant financial investments into a company or its assets, specifically those investments that facilitate expansion of a company’s operations. This can be an investment by the company itself into its operations or by an outside investor be that another company, financial institution, private equity or venture capital firm.

Leonardo wins in the Investments category following the announcement of a significant plan to expand its electronics business. This includes a €1bn ($1.1bn) investment over five years to optimise the company’s 18 technological excellence sites in Italy and an annual €100m ($110m) investment in its electronics business in the UK.

• Australian Department of Defense
• Bharat Dynamics
• Dstl
• Leidos
• Leonardo
• Thales
• UK Ministry of Defence
• US Army

This category includes organisations that have expanded their business operations by entering into significant mergers and acquisitions deals within the sector.

The category specifically looks at the acquisitions of whole businesses or stakes rather than asset transactions and deals must have been closed during the research period.

Leonardo wins the M&A award this year following the completion of its acquisition of a 25.1% stake in German sensor developer Hensoldt. The deal gives the company a significant boost in the areas of sensors, data management and robotics.

• Amentum Services
• BAE Systems
• Leonardo
• Parker Hannifin
• Parsons
• SES
• TTM Technologies

The Product Launches category recognises companies that have launched notable new products or services into the market. This can include physical products, software as well as the launch of services and concepts.

We are specifically looking at novelty, including companies launching products into new areas or innovation in the product’s design, manufacture or marketing.

SPX Corporation subsidiaries Enterprise Control Systems (ECS) and TCI win the Product Launches award following the demonstration of its Blacktalon counter-drone system which incorporates radar and RF sensors for UAS detection, identification, location and tracking, an electro-optical sensor for drone verification and video tracking, and a multi-channel RF inhibitor for drone defeat.

• AeroVironment
• Australian Department of Defense
• BAE Systems
• Boeing
• Enterprise Control Systems/TCI
• Rheinmetall

This category includes organisations that have demonstrated a commitment to the research and development of new products and/or new processes. This can include discovering or creating a unique material, transferring a research or technology development to practice, improving the performance of an existing product or creating a new simulation or design tools.

The category also includes companies that have made significant investments into their R&D processes.

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wins our Research and Development award following another notable year of research projects and investments.

These include the announcement of various technology research programmes including ones to develop algorithm-driven decision making, a cognitive science tool focusing on mental health of personnel and a programme to develop GPS-independent clocks. The agency also announced the research teams for the enhanced night vision in eyeglass form (ENVision) programme.

• BAE Systems
• Boeing/Nammo
• CSIRO
• Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
• Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA)
• Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
• EyeTracking
• General Dynamics
• GM Defense
• Lockheed Martin
• MBDA/CAE
• NATO
• Northrup Grumman
• Oshkosh Defense
• Rheinmetall
• Stratom
• Textron Systems
• Viasat