draken international , inc. is a provider of tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services including military and contract customers .

it is based at the lakeland linder regional airport in lakeland , florida .

draken offers airborne adversary support , flight training , threat simulation , electronic warfare support , aerial refueling , research , and testing services to the u.s. department of defense , u.s. defense contractors and aerospace firms , provided by a fleet of around 80 aircraft which includes 30 mig-21bis fighters , douglas a-4k skyhawk attack jets and aero l-39 albatros , aermacchi mb-339 tactical jet trainer aircraft ; and the new aero vodochody l-159e .

in recent news , the company announced a $ 6.7 million expansion of its headquarters and repair infrastructure at lakeland linder regional airport .

the company ceo is jared isaacman .

draken international

draken international ranked # 90 on the 2017 inc . 500 list | draken international
draken international’s completes a successful deployment for the usaf air education and training command .
top photo via draken international webpage , photographed by our friend frank crebas / bluelife aviation .
draken international is a provider of tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services including military and contract customers .
with over 80 jets , draken international operates the largest fleet of privately owned tactical aircraft in the world .
draken international ' s l - 39 aircraft are the perfect solution for cost effective , sub sonic missions .
draken international regularly deploys aircraft and personnel to a variety of locations in the united states and across the world .
draken international draken international’s impressive arsenal of aircraft makes it the largest private operator of tactical aircraft in the world . the company was founded as recently as 2011 when it evolved from the black diamond jet team , an airshow performer owned by entrepreneur jared isaacman .
draken international ' s mb - 339cb aircraft are exceptionally low time with limited former use in the royal new zealand air force ( rnzaf ) .
our highly capable aircraft can function to satisfy customer’s requests . draken also has the ability to upgrade our fleet to meet specific demands . draken is also able to deploy its fleet in the global arena and able to work in international airspace . our pilots have the operational experience in all global arenas . please contact draken directly for further information on international opportunities .
contract air services provider draken international is buying eight ex rnzaf mcdonnell douglas a - 4k skyhawks and various other equipment and accessories from the nz government .
draken international has created a new standard in aviation service capabilities for all branches of the united states military , department of defense and allied militaries globally .
lakeland , fl , june 3 , 2018 draken international has been awarded the $ 280 million adversary air ( adair ) ii contract to provide . . .
since 2015 , draken international has been contracted to provide adversary support for the usaf , using its a - 4ks and aero vodochody l - 159e alca fighter jets to replicate numerous threat types .
photo : a draken int a - 4k on approach to nellis . jamie hunter
the people at draken international are the company ' s single greatest asset and absolutely key to successful mission execution . we are committed to a high performance culture that continually challenges each person to rise to their full potential !
draken international creates a new standard in aviation service capabilities for all branches of the united states military and department of defense . with over 50 jets , draken international operates the largest fleet of privately owned tactical aircraft in the world . as an organization , they are uniquely positioned to answer the growing demand for contract air support . the foundation at draken international is superior to the competition in several respects . this includes the quantity and capabilities of their fleet of aircraft , the experience of the management team and the financial resources of the organization . draken is positioned to be a leading defense asset with extensive capabilities in airborne adversary support , threat simulation , aerial refueling , research , testing , as well as other missions suited to their diverse fleet of aircraft .
a draken international a - 4 skyhawk parks on the nellis air force base , nev . , flightline awaiting preflight check on dec . 3 , 2015 . draken is used to support various types of military training objectives around the globe . ( u . s . air force photo by airman 1st class rachel loftis )
the service first evaluated the use of commercial ‘red air’ when it awarded a one - year contract to draken international last september . during the ‘proof - of - concept’ evaluation draken’s radar - equipped skyhawks have been flying sorties from nellis in support of the usaf weapons school and the f - 35 joint operational test team .
draken international , inc . owns and operates commercial fleets . it offers fleets for tactical ex - military aircrafts and supports military training centres . the company was founded by jared isaacman in 2012 and is headquartered in lakeland , fl .
in 2015 , draken international flew its a4k fighter jets as simulated adversaries during operational testing of the f - 35 at edwards air force base , the first instance of any commercial air services company providing adversary support for the f - 35 .
draken currently supports the national test pilot school , international test pilot school , us air force test pilot school and the us naval test pilot school with our fleet of dual seat mb - 339 ' s , ta - 4k and l - 39 ' s . our fleet of dual seat jets and instructors provide an ideal platform for the test pilot schools to train domestic and international pilots .
the american draken international company is interested in purchase of up to 28 pieces ( 24 complete and four incomplete ) for 21 . 72 up to 25 . 8 mil usd while the final price could vary depending on real technical conditions of machines .
the us air force plans to release a solicitation to industry for a massive 40 , 000 hours of contracted aggressor support training at 12 different bases . it comes following a year - long experiment at nellis afb , nevada , for draken international .
at its sessison this week , the czech government approved sale of 28 subsonic l - 159 alca aircraft to us draken international company while discussion over prolonged lease of sweden - made saab 39 gripen supersonic aircraft postponed until a new czech government is formed .
this contract , which began in march of 2015 and extends through to september of 2017 , has provided a new standard of service to the usmc , and draken international has been praised by marines ; from the operators on the ground , up to the hq level .
draken will use the aircraft to support us department of defense training activities , providing realistic training and threat simulation .
draken customers go beyond just government entities within the department of defense . the major defense contractors all have requirements for flight services . draken supports many of these companies in the form of photo chase , pod r & d , weapon release tests and avionics testing . draken helps these organizations with their research data and past performance to win contracts .
every hour draken operates an aircraft in place of a military asset is another hour remaining on the life of that aircraft .
draken international has exploded onto the commercial adversary support market in the last half decade , and is now the largest private air force in the world . yet this flying outfit with an aggressive business plan needs contracts in order to succeed over the long - term . now it appears the usaf is officially giving draken a shot at proving their worth at america’s premier air combat training facility , nellis afb in las vegas , nevada .
draken has worked with each of the us military branches as well as several foreign air forces . the video was produced by the us air force in 2015 and talks about draken’s unique capabilities and qualifications during an evaluation performed at nellis air force base .
the air national guard relied on draken international’s contract air services to support the guard’s annual training exercises for a large scale mission . during the “northern lightning 2015” exercise conducted from june 8 to19 at volk field combat readiness training center in wisconsin , draken a - 4s primarily served in the adversary role . equipped with electronic warfare pods , radars , and gps training pods , they were able to provide a very credible and realistic threat at considerable cost savings .
draken international provides extensive live close air support for usmc joint terminal air controllers ( jtac ) training . aircraft , operating at ranges on both coasts , support jtacs with the delivery of bdu - 33 training munitions , with precision accuracy . this critical service ensures essential training while preserving flight hours on usmc fighter assets and reducing costs .
draken international ' s mig - 21bis and um aircraft bring several important elements to our fleet of tactical aircraft . this includes quantity of jets for large force exercises , as well as supersonic flight and targeting capabilities facilitated by our “jaybird
radar . these high - speed , radar equipped aircraft enable draken international to present accurate and realistic profiles for adversary support . not only are the aircraft ideal for airborne engagements , they are highly effective in cruise missile threat simulation for both the navy and army . the draken mig - 21bis is the last aircraft produced in the series and are extremely supportable . considering the aircraft type is still in service among militaries around the globe , there is no shortage of spare parts and support . this ensures the ongoing supportability and safety of our low - time fleet of mikoyan mig - 21 fighters .
draken international deployed five a - 4ks , with a team of maintenance professionals and expert pilots , to integrate with the air national guard f - 16s participating in northern lightning . f - 16s and personnel from air national guard units from wisconsin , arizona , minnesota and oklahoma all contributed to the training event . flying side by side with the guard f - 16’s , draken a - 4ks performed the role of the enemy . the training was further enhanced by simulated airborne and ground - based threats . for the cost of one f - 16 flight hour , all of aatc’s aircraft executed operational training against five draken aircraft .
services : draken international creates a new standard in aviation service capabilities for all branches of the united states military and department of defense . with over 70 tactical fighter aircraft , draken international operates the largest fleet of privately owned tactical aircraft in the world . as an organization , we are uniquely positioned to answer the growing demand for contract air support . the foundation at draken international is superior to the competition in several respects . this includes the quantity and capabilities of our fleet of aircraft , the experience of the management team and the financial resources of the organization . draken is positioned to be a leading defense asset with extensive capabilities in airborne adversary support , threat simulation , aerial refueling , research , testing , as well as other missions suited to our diverse fleet of aircraft . safety is our top and immediate priority . our fleet of aircraft have been expertly maintained and inspected prior to gaining their airworthiness certifications . draken maintenance technicians engage in faa flight safety meetings and scheduled proficiency seminars and have decades of experience and training to ensure safety is at the center of their decision making matrix . draken international employs world - class , military - trained fighter pilots . the team is comprised of an elite cadre of usaf weapons school instructors , fighter weapons school graduates , top gun instructors , us navy aggressors , air liaison officers , thunderbirds demonstration pilots , and fac - a instructors . our tactical experts have the experience to challenge today ' s warriors for tomorrow ' s fight while continuing to sharpen america ' s edge in current operations around the globe . as the global defense and military climate changes , the need has never been greater for cost - effective and professional contract air support .
every hour that draken operates in place of a military asset delivers a tangible cost savings , representing hundreds of millions of dollars in potential savings .
the usaf currently only operates two aggressor squadrons ; the 18th agrs at eielson afb , alaska , and the 64th agrs at nellis . the 65th agrs , that flew f - 15c / ds , disbanded in 2014 . draken international and discovery air defence services are both offering contractor air services , along with textron , which in 2016 purchased the former atac ( airborne tactical advantage co ) .
safety and security are our top and immediate priorities . our fleet of aircraft have been expertly maintained and inspected prior to gaining their airworthiness certifications . draken maintenance technicians engage in faa flight safety meetings and scheduled proficiency seminars and have decades of experience and training to ensure safety is at the center of their decision making matrix . security is paramount and is why draken international conforms to the same standards that are found at any military installation or government organization . personal , physical and electronic security standards far exceed the government standards and today ' s industry standards .
draken continues to support the multinational f - 35 community including the united states , the royal australian air force , the uk royal air force and the netherlands .
safety and security are our top and immediate priorities . our fleet of aircraft have been expertly maintained and inspected prior to gaining their airworthiness certifications . draken maintainance technicians engage in faa flight safety meetings and scheduled proficiency seminars and have decades of experience and training to ensure safety is at the center of their decision making matrix . security is paramount and is why draken international conforms to the same standards that are found at any military installation or government organization . personal , physical and electronic security standards far exceed the government standards and today ' s industry standards . many draken executives currently hold top secret clearance and understand the responsibility vested in them to protect our nation . draken international employs world - class , military - trained fighter pilots . the team is comprised of an elite cadre of usaf weapons school instructors , fighter weapons school graduates , top gun instructors , us navy aggressors , air liaison officers , thunderbirds demonstration pilots , and fac - a instructors . our tactical experts have the experience to challenge today ' s warriors for tomorrow ' s fight while continuing to sharpen america ' s edge in current operations around the globe .
general corley retired from the air force after more than 36 years leading aerospace organizations throughout the u . s . and abroad . he is an experienced strategic planner and a skilled international collaborator in the planning and development of major weapons systems .
through draken’s operating partner in the south of france , secapem flies aermacchi mb - 339’s and a - 4 skyhawks for aggressor and ship defences for the french navy .
a third outfit—florida - based draken international , which boasts a fleet of more than 50 jets—actually succeeded in importing some 27 russian - built mig - 21 fighters to use for training purposes . in addition to the migs , the company operates some 11 douglas a - 4k skyhawk attack aircraft—but those aircraft are upgraded with electronics including a radar from upgraded european - operated versions of the f - 16 fighter jet . draken’s fleet also includes nine italian - built aermacchi mb - 339cb advanced trainers , 28 czech - built aero vodochody l - 159e light combat jets , and five l - 39s .
the draken fleet of twenty - five mig - 21s brings a sustainable and needed supersonic capability to many mission sets including fleet defense , adversary support and other forms of threat replication . tactically relevant engagements are achieved when combing large quantities of our mig - 21bis aircraft with draken ' s highly capable , radar equipped fleet of tactical fighter jets .
with a fleet of 150 tactical fighter aircraft , draken owns and operates the world’s largest commercial fleet of tactical ex - military aircraft . draken supports military training objectives around the globe , providing tremendous cost savings over the use of traditional military fighter assets . as an organization , we are uniquely positioned to answer the growing demand for contract air support .
draken ' s modernized mirage f1m is a supersonic radar equipped fighter jet suited for all air - to - air , air - to - ground and ship servces mission sets .
draken international’s performance include aggressor operations in support of the us navy test and evaluation squadron nine ( vx - 9 ) . the task orders , some of which are classified , involved a - 4 skyhawk aircraft engaged in training exercises against navy f - 18e / f hornets and surface ships while carrying ea / ew pods . this includes a variety of r & d training exercises for active electronically scanned array ( aesa ) radar development .
september 19th , 2016 – draken international continues to exceed capacity expectations with the successful deployment of 18 tactical fighter aircraft to holloman afb from september 9 - 17th . throughout the week , draken maintenance flawlessly supported 32 missions daily with pilots flying a 16 x 16 flight schedule in numerous platforms to include a - 4ks , a - 4ns , l - 159s , l - 39s , mb - 339s , and f - 5s . this increase in flying volume is an industry first and is a true testament to draken’s commitment to expanding its fleet to meet growing demands . with aircraft based throughout the country , draken deployed assets to alamogordo , new mexico beginning september 9th and staged operations out of holloman afb . these dedicated missions were flown over the white sands missile range in support of japanese chu - sam ( kai ) testing , a medium range surface - to - air missile similar to the us army’s patriot missile . this significant test required multiple flights at various altitudes and airspeeds in an effort to challenge the chu - sam system . draken developed intricate plans that put the japanese defense system to the test with safe yet contested presentations with unrivaled capacity .
between june 25th and july 1st , draken international deployed six a - 4 skyhawk’s from nellis afb , along with 28 pilots and maintainers , and flew 36 sorties in support of f - 35 upgrade training for aetc and coalition instructor pilots as well as usaf f - 16 requalification training . draken’s a - 4 skyhawk’s are equipped with apg - 66 radars , which replicate 4th generation aircraft capabilities and proved to be a credible opponent for luke’s f - 35s and f - 16s . “utilizing a reliable and low - cost 3rd gen platform with 4th gen capabilities , allows draken to provide a practical , sustainable and most importantly cost effective solution to an extraordinary demand for red air across all services . with the recent announcement of the usaf contract , draken has now been entrusted to deploy in support of other us air force commands at the discretion of the 57th atg commander . i have a feeling this will be the first of many deployments outside of our home base at nellis” states nick “cat” guttman , draken project officer for this recent deployment . guttman went on to explain , “air forces around the globe are quickly recognizing the need for adversary aircraft and draken is the solution ; we provide contract air support at a lower cost yet still represent a highly capable adversary that can help maintain the edge warfighter’s need to fight tomorrow’s war . ”
, 1295 ( fed . cir . 2008 ) ( quoting gardner v . toilet goods ass’n , 387 u . s . 167 , 171 ( 1967 ) ) ; texas bio - & agro - defense consortium , 87 fed . cl . at 806 . withholding consideration of this issue will not harm draken , as the conduct that it complains of may not ultimately persist or prejudice draken . this court will not review the agency’s denial of draken’s agency - level protest draken argues the agency’s protest decision was irrational and that the agency “failed to provide a coherent and reasonable explanation that justified its decision to deny draken’s protest . ” pl . mot . for judgment on the ar 30 - 33 . in the bid protest realm , the court of federal claims is not an appellate tribunal empowered to directly review protest decisions of the agency or the gao . cf . honeywell , inc . v . united states ,
the navy has clearly realized the potential for using contractor air support , but until recently the usaf only modestly embraced such services . that was until it was announced in late september that draken international had been awarded a contract to provide such services at nellis afb . matt bannon comments : ‘we have seen signals of an increased demand from the usaf and that it is willing and moving towards contractor air services — we feel it’s the next burgeoning market . ’
draken international employs world - class , military - trained fighter pilots . the team is comprised of an elite cadre of usaf weapons school instructors , fighter weapons school graduates , top gun instructors , us navy aggressors , air liaison officers , thunderbirds demonstration pilots , and fac - a instructors . our tactical experts have the experience to challenge today ' s warriors for tomorrow ' s fight while continuing to sharpen america ' s edge in current operations around the globe .
following over a year of successful & sustained flight operations for the us air force and us marine corps , including the weapons instructor course , red flag , joint operational test team , and jtac schoolhouse , draken international , with the largest fleet of commercial fighter aircraft deployed in support of the air education and training command ( aetc ) . draken a - 4 skyhawk aircraft , equipped with 4th generation capabilities , was tasked to turn up the heat and deploy to luke afb , delivering essential adversary support to the largest fighter wing in the world . the purpose of the mission was to provide red air support for aetc 4th & 5th generation fighter jets and norwegian’s elite f - 35 instructor pilots .
over the past 21 months , draken has dramatically ramped up its capabilities and overall missions . as the largest flying organization at nellis air force base , draken operates a fleet of 22 l - 159s and a - 4s , logging over 3 , 400 flying hours in support of combat training . if supporting weapons school , red flag exercises , and operational test missions wasn’t enough , draken continues to be a leader within the commercial air service industry , performing simultaneous operations which include a permanent presence in france and deployments to luke afb , leeuwarden air base ( the netherlands ) , mcas cherry point , and mcas yuma .
in the nearer future there are other opportunities for cae in canada . the requirement for contracted airborne training services ( cats ) is still active , despite the recent extension of the existing contract with discovery air defence services . cats covers the provision of aircraft to undertake fighter and electronic adversary missions and related tasks such as forward air controller training . cae teamed with draken international to bid for the contract . although originally to have been awarded last year , the new contract is now scheduled for a decision later this year .
lakeland , fl . ( 08 / 16 / 2017 ) - draken international , a global leader in advanced adversary air services , was ranked as the 90 th fastest growing private company in the us on inc . magazine’s 2017 inc . 500 list . the company achieved stunning 3 - year revenue growth of over 4 , 000 % to earn a spot in the top 100 on this prestigious annual ranking . the company’s revenue growth made it the 9th fastest growing private company in the government services category and the 6th fastest growing private company in florida .
2000 – 2003 director , global power programs , assistant secretary of the air force for acquisition , headquarters u . s . air force , washington , d . c . directed , planned and programmed over 200 air force , joint service and international programs . represented the u . s . as chairman , european multi - national fighter program .
, 1370 ( fed . cir . 2002 ) ) . the error alleged by draken in this protest is that the agency’s delay in conducting the procurement , coupled with its operational readiness requirements for both type iii and type iv aircraft , makes the solicitation anti - competitive . if these alleged errors had not occurred , i . e . the agency had met its original anticipated award date and not delayed the procurement process , draken could have – as it did – submitted its offer and met the solicitation terms , expensive though they were . only after the agency extended the anticipated award date by almost a year did the requirements for type iv aircraft become financially prohibitive . 7 as draken submitted the [ * * * ] bid and [ * * * ] atac in the technical risk category , draken had a “substantial chance” of being awarded the contract , but for the alleged defect in the procurement process – unduly restrictive solicitation terms and prolonged delay . the fact that draken has allegedly unresolved ens does not alter this conclusion as the en process has not been concluded . 7 the requirement to supply both type iii and type iv aircraft became impossible for draken to meet once , after delay , it lost its surprise subcontractor . dec . 8 , 2014 oral arg . tr . at 23 : 3 - 7 ( describing how draken was able to originally submit a proposal due to finding a “surprise” subcontractor , who has been “unable to stick with it throughout these extensive delays” ) . 9 standard of review for bid protests the court evaluates bid protests pursuant to the administrative procedure act’s standard of review for an agency action . bannum , inc . v . united states ,
the large force training exercise was initiated by the 323rd test and evaluation squadron and supported by the joint strike fighter operational test team ( jott ) , from august 17 through 28 . draken flew as many as five a - 4ks simultaneously as adversaries against royal netherlands air force f - 35 aircraft , as well as royal netherlands f - 16 vipers . this support continues on a regular basis at edwards , with up to seven draken aircraft based there on the ramp at a given time .
draken acquired several a - 4ks from new zealand . these kiwi skyhawks had already been upgraded under project kahu with the apg - 66v7 fire control radar along with radar warning receiver ( rwr ) , heads - up display ( hud ) , hands on throttle and stick ( hotas ) , and multi - function displays ( mfd ) . this all means that the draken a - 4ks emit an electronic signature similar to the air force’s mid - life upgrade ( mlu ) f - 16 vipers . equipped with the latest data bus technology , they can also employ the current generation of laser targeting and electronic attack and warfare pods and deliver them on target . the draken skyhawks can also pass and take gas from “buddy store” aerial refueling equipment .
draken international , sometimes referred to as “the world’s largest private air force” , is a defense contractor formed in 2011 offering flight training , threat simulation , airborne adversary support , electronic warfare support , aerial refueling , research , and testing services to military and civilian aerospace firms . draken provides air - to - air and air - to - ground tactical training and support , air - to - air refueling , and fleet missile defense training . they own a fleet of more than 80 tactical aircraft , including 30 mig - 21 fishbeds , 21 aero l - 159e advanced light combat aircraft ( laca ) s , 14 douglas a - 4 skyhawks , 9 aermacchi mb - 339cbs , and five aero l - 39 albatroses . many of these aircraft have unique 4 th generation threat simulation capabilities including fire - control radars , radar warning receivers , training missiles , and electronic attack equipment .
draken a - 4ks are equipped with pulse doppler radar , electronic attack pods , and ground controllers to provide realistic threat presentations for integrated f - 35 operational testing . the test exercise enabled an initial assessment of fourth and fifth - generation fighter integration , including link - 16 interoperability aspects .
draken ceo jared isaacman is no stranger to the inc . 500 list . his first company , lighthouse network , llc has made six appearances on the list ( under the company’s original name united bank card ) , including five consecutive appearances with # 6 and # 19 positions in consecutive years .
draken provides a range of contract air services to the department of defense and international allies , with services including airborne adversary support , flight training , threat simulation , electronic warfare support , aerial refueling , research , testing , and other missions . with a strategy based upon “build it , and they will come” , isaacman and his team of military veterans have dedicated the last six years traveling the world in search of safe , credible , and capable aircraft to answer the growing global demand for commercial air services . as a result of these efforts , the company now boasts the largest privately owned fleet of fighter aircraft in the world with over 80 fighter jets including mirage f - 1s , douglas a - 4s , aero l - 159s , and mig - 21s , among other aircraft .
the company owns a fleet of aircraft including 11 a - 4 skyhawks , nine aermacchi mb339cbs , 27 mig - 21s , and 21 l - 159s . an important step in building the company was the acquisition of eight a - 4ks from new zealand in 2012 . this comprises nearly the full fleet of royal new zealand air force skyhawks that became surplus after the type’s retirement in that country . extra skyhawks were added to the fleet in 2014 when draken purchased six a - 4ns that were formerly flown by bea systems at wittmund , germany . currently the l - 159 , acquired from the czech republic , is entering the draken fleet .
draken announced a new adversary support contract from the usaf in 2015 , using its a - 4ks and new l - 159s to generate cost savings for the air force by preserving its f - 16s and f - 15s . ‘personally , i am really looking forward to integrating with and complementing the usaf nellis - based aggressors , said col terry ‘stretch’ scott , a recently - retired usaf f - 22 pilot and nellis detachment commander for draken . isaacman added : ‘we feel we are absolutely ready and fortunate to have this monumental opportunity . this is our time to demonstrate the capabilities of our service while still achieving considerable cost savings for the us air force . ’ frank crebas
, 358 ( 1994 ) ) . plaintiff’s claim of undue procurement delay is timely and reviewable while blue & gold prevents plaintiff from challenging solicitation terms , it does not prevent draken from protesting alleged pre - award deficiencies in the procurement process . the delay that draken argues has made the procurement process anti - competitive was not a term of the solicitation . there was no basis on the face of the solicitation for plaintiff to challenge what later became , in its view , an unduly lengthy procurement process . the solicitation stated that the “anticipated” award date was march 1 , 2014 , information that was to be used by bidders as “a basis for schedules and burden ( labor , overheads , g & a ; , etc . ) mid - point calculations . ” ar 586 . plaintiff does not contend that this solicitation term was defective , only that the agency’s subsequent departure from that anticipated date rendered the procurement anti - competitive . as draken is not challenging a solicitation term , but instead the combination of delay in the procurement process with requirements that allegedly became unduly restrictive due to this delay , draken’s protest is timely under blue & gold . plaintiff has not established a violation of cica the plaintiff in a bid protest bears the burden of proving that a “clear and prejudicial” error marred the procurement in question . caci field servs . , inc . v . united states ,
the experience of the pilots is key when it comes to the type of missions the company offers to its clients . next to red air support , similar to the work of aggressor squadrons , draken also delivers air - to - ground , fleet missile defense support , and aerial refueling via a ‘buddy - buddy system’ on the a - 4s .
formerly known as top aces , the company was awarded the newly drawn contract in 2005 to provide the canadian forces with aggressor training . now operating as discovery air defence ( da defence ) , it acquired its a - 4n skyhawks through the takeover of advanced training systems international ( atsi ) of mesa , arizona , in december 2013 . these ex - israeli air force jets joined a fleet of ex - luftwaffe alpha jets in the training arena , and highlighted the company’s ambition to make a footprint into europe .
although this current contract is just a year - long test to see how draken’s ex - royal new zealand air force a - 4k skyhawks and their crews do in the aggressor / adversary support roll , it is only a matter of time until the usaf will have no other choice but to widely integrate commercial adversary support into their “red air” training portfolio .
where draken stands out capability - wise from other commercial adversary support providers , at least for the time being , is that their ex - kiwi a - 4ks bring a relatively modern radar set to the fight . this allows for a more complex and realistic menu of advanced engagement scenarios to be played out during training as opposed to using tactical jets without radars . unlike the vast majority of a - 4 skyhawk types , a - 4k packs the apg - 66 multi - mode pulse doppler radar . a slightly more compact version of the same radar found in the f / a - 16a / bs . draken’s a - 4ks are also capable of buddy refueling and have modern cockpits and weapons interfaces , which could lead to new capabilities in the future .
“this exercise demonstrated draken’s capacity to meet and exceed growing requirements within our commercial industry . we see our aircraft not as platforms , but as continuously expanding capabilities” , states sean gustafson , vp of business development . “in the very near future , we will provide a supersonic , data - linked passive ir shooter capability . the proven capacity flown this past week is second to none in the industry . ”
, 71 ( 1956 ) . however , this is not the argument plaintiff is pressing in this case . plaintiff emphasizes that it is not claiming that the procurement delay here resulted from any arbitrary , capricious , or irrational conduct by the agency . dec . 8 , 2014 oral arg . tr . 13 13 : 13 - 21 . ( “ [ w ] e are not ascribing fault to the agency for the delays . [ . . . ] and it ' s not necessary , in our view , to say that the delays were the agency’s fault . ” ) . draken’s contention that it was treated differently than other offerors is unripe draken argues that the agency treated it unfairly because the agency repeatedly stressed the importance of providing airworthiness data with the initial proposals , yet “appears to have waived the requirement eight months after offerors were required to comply” for [ * * * ] and [ * * * ] . pl . mot . for judgment on the ar 32 - 35 ( emphasis in original ) . plaintiff speculates that the agency may accept this data from other offerors , will rely on this data , and will not afford draken a similar opportunity to provide such data . id . at 34 - 35 . atac submits that draken’s arguments that it was treated unfairly and prejudicially are not ripe because the award has not yet been made . intervenor’s mot . for judgment on the ar at 34 - 35 . the court agrees with atac . this procurement is still ongoing , and the current state of evaluations and discussions is unknown . ripeness is a doctrine of justiciability that prevents the courts , “through avoidance of premature adjudication , from entangling themselves in abstract disagreements over administrative policies . . . . ” abbott labs . v . gardner ,
this is an historic first for the usaf in contracting services on a large scale . the program calls for a flying turn pattern of six aircraft followed by four aircraft . draken has deployed eight a - 4s in support of its year - long contract providing up to 1000 hours of flying for the usaf . the aircraft and aircrew are based on the ramp at nellis and operate side - by - side with the usaf aggressor squadron , the 64th .
, 1384 ( fed . cir . 2012 ) ( citing rex , 448 f . 3d at 1307 ) . as the term denotes , an actual bidder is one who submitted a bid for the challenged procurement . rex , 448 f . 3d at 1307 . 6 while the government argues that draken’s protest of the solicitation terms is untimely , it does not challenge draken’s standing to protest . 8 “generally , to prove the existence of a direct economic interest , a party must show that it had a ‘substantial chance’ of winning the contract . ” orion , 704 f . 3d at 1348 ( citing rex , 448 f . 3d at 1308 ) . there is , however , “ [ a ] n exception to that standard [ ] when a prospective bidder challenges the terms of the solicitation itself , prior to actually submitting a bid . ” id . ( citing weeks marine , inc . v . united states ,
‘we also purchased 21 l - 159e fighter jets . the l - 159e is equipped with the selex grifo - l radar and attack software suite . they are a modern , virtually brand - new fourth - generation fighter aircraft with extremely low operational costs . in both cases , the a - 4 and l - 159 enable draken to provide tactically relevant adversary support but at dramatically lower costs than a comparable military f - 16 or f - 15 fighter . ’
retired , reserve , or air national guard us air force ( usaf ) , us navy ( usn ) , and us marine corps ( usmc ) tactical jet pilots fly draken’s tactical jets . these guys and gals all have patches from the usaf fighter weapons school or topgun or usaf aggressor squadrons or usn / usmc adversary squadrons or , well…you get it . they’re qualified . many of them have even commanded usaf or usn or usmc squadrons , groups , or wings .
canada’s cats is just one opportunity that cae is pursuing in partnership with draken , the two companies having announced a worldwide teaming memorandum of understanding last july . contractorised adversary and target facilities services are seen as a growth area for air arms around the world , with a number of key air forces employing contractorised “red air” . a key opportunity is the raf’s asdot ( air support to defence operational training ) requirement in the uk , and there are others in the asia - pacific region .
the firm’s marketing director garrick ngai is relishing the prospect , but knows there is a little way to go . ‘the f - 16 is a us military asset so it comes down to state department approval . it’s a policy issue . i can say it’s a demilitarized aircraft but it still says ‘f - 16’ on the piece of paper and that is seen as a warplane . it poses the question of , if this goes through , what does it mean for other future demilitarized aircraft ? the jets themselves wouldn’t be coming from surplus usaf stocks , but there are enough itar - ( international traffic in arms regulations ) controlled parts and technical data involved that it needs to go through the us state department . ’
lieutenant general david a . deptula ( ret . ) is a highly decorated military leader who transitioned from the u . s . air force ( usaf ) in 2010 after more than 34 years of distinguished service . he is a world - recognized leader and pioneer in conceptualizing , planning , and executing national security operations from humanitarian relief to major combat operations . accomplished historic achievements and several
firsts
in the command of joint forces , planning and execution of aerospace power , intelligence , surveillance , and reconnaissance ( isr ) , and improved international relationships . he has taken part in operations , planning , and joint warfighting at unit , major command , service headquarters and combatant command levels , and also served on two congressional commissions charged with outlining america’s future defense posture .
it will be interesting to see if draken gets a long - term contract from the usaf to fly as aggressors out of nellis and even expand ts services to other locations . the air force recently and controversially disbanded the 65th aggressor squadrons , the service’s only f - 15 “red air” unit . today the 64th aggressor squadron , based in nellis afb , and the 18th aggressor squadron , based at eielson afb in alaska , are the usaf’s only two dedicated aggressor units left , and both fly the f - 16 . filling in some of the lost aggressor capacity with creative and nimble private contractors seems like a no - brainer . and although draken has participated in smaller air exercises in the past , a long - term contract at nellis , similar to what the navy offers for a portion of its adversary needs , would most likely be optimal . you simply do not need an f - 16 to act as a beyond - visual range target or a cruise missile , so there is plenty of room for efficiency to be found via such an arrangement .
, 177 ( 1997 ) ) . here , whether draken will be treated unfairly and prejudicially compared to [ * * * ] and [ * * * ] is not yet known and cannot be ascertained until the agency selects an awardee . in texas bio - & agro - defense consortium , this court recognized that a proposed site selection was not ripe for judicial review because negotiations over the transfer of the property to the agency had not been concluded and because any transfer of the property was contingent upon congressional funding . 87 fed . cl . at 804 - 06 . this court reasoned that given the uncertainty over what form the potential transfer of land and in - kind contributions from the intervenor to the agency might take and the multiple potential contingencies , the site selection was not fit for judicial review . id . at 806 . similarly , in the instant case , the outcome of what draken claims is an unfair evaluation process has not yet occurred , as the agency is still in the pre - award evaluation stage of this procurement . decl . of philip smith ¶¶ 4 - 5 . the “consummation of the agency’s decisionmaking process” will not occur until award . see nsk , ltd . , 510 f . 3d at 1385 . deciding not to review this alleged unequal treatment does not impose any hardship on draken . “ [ w ] ithholding court consideration of an action causes hardship to the plaintiff where 14 the complained - of conduct has an ‘immediate and substantial impact’ on the plaintiff . ” caraco pharm . labs . , ltd . v . forest labs . , inc . ,
not so busy at the moment are the ‘fishbeds’ , as isaacman observes : ‘we do not operate our mig - 21s . they are very low - time airframes and they include the latest bis models . unfortunately , there has been very little demand from our customers for this type series . the mig - 21 is not known for its maneuverability or endurance . not to mention the radar capabilities are very limited . that stated , they are an extremely low - cost supersonic fighter jet and draken has nearly 30 of them ! they would make a great platform for various saturation scenarios , but as of now , there has been almost no demand for them . they are all stored in our lakeland facility . ’
‘with draken we can provide fourth - generation adversaries ( electronic attack pods , radars , etc ) for a fifth of the operating cost of an f - 16 or f - 15 . that is the value of our service . we deliver enhanced training for a much , much lower cost . if we were to purchase f - 16s , we would not be able to offer any cost savings at all . not to mention , the f - 16as for sale in israel are some of the oldest ones still in service and have virtually no upgrades . so that would mean our military customers would not be saving any money . they would be paying essentially the same cost as they do for their own f - 16s , but with dramatically lower capabilities . it really just doesn’t make sense . if the us government wanted to keep flying against f - 16s , they would not need to turn to private industry to accomplish the service . they could simply use any of the hundreds of f - 16s that are stored in the boneyard that are all better equipped than the f - 16as that are for sale in israel . draken already operates fourth - generation fighter aircraft in our a - 4k and l - 159e advanced light combat aircraft ( alca ) , but at dramatically lower costs than old f - 16as . we deliver the best value in terms of capabilities and price . that is what is really driving the demand for commercial air services in the global market . ’
benefits : comprehensive benefits package including medical , dental , vision , life and ad & d ; , short - term and long - term disability . in order to keep the employee benefits in the medical plan as rich as possible , draken offers the difference card which is funded by the company to pay the majority of the co - pays . the deductible and co - insurance amounts will also be subsidized by the difference card reimbursement program . we also offer flexible spending accounts for qualified health and dependent care expenses , which provide tax savings . eligibility for college tuition benefits and will preparation services . employee assistance program : services include : education , dependent care , legal and financial , lifestyle and fitness management , working smarter , drug & alcohol . unlimited free telephonic consultation with an eap counselor available 24 / 7 . telehealth : connect with a doctor by smartphone , tablet , or computer from anywhere in the u . s .
the purchase of the light but capable l - 159 is an interesting move . while a rival company is considering buying ex - israeli f - 16s , draken continues to offer a cheaper solution with aircraft that it says offer similar fourth - generation capabilities . when asked why isaacman isn’t aiming for the ‘viper’ he explains : ‘we are very familiar with these aircraft [ israeli f - 16s ] and have inspected them several times . most of our pilots have a lot of experience and admiration for the f - 16 . it is a great fighter aircraft . that being said , there are many reasons why an f - 16 is a terrible platform for the commercial air services industry . primarily , our industry only exists based on cost savings . that is why militaries from around the world want our service . globally , the government budgets are shrinking and it doesn’t always make sense for f - 16s , f - 15s , eurofighters , etc to train against each other .
, 1361 ( fed . cir . 2009 ) ) . in the pre - bid context , the protestor can establish a direct economic interest “by demonstrating that it suffered a ‘non - trivial competitive injury which can be redressed by judicial relief . ’” id . ( quoting weeks marine , 575 f . 3d at 1361 - 62 ) . however , where bids have been submitted but an award has not been made , the correct test of economic interest is the “substantial chance” test used in the post - award context , not the “non - trivial competitive injury” test . id . atac contends that draken lacks standing because it has unresolved ens and can no longer meet the type iv aircraft requirement and thus “currently does not have a substantial chance of receiving the contract , but for the alleged error . ” intervenor mot . for judgment on the ar 20 . to satisfy the substantial chance test , a protester “must demonstrate more than a ‘mere possibility that [ it ] would have received the contract but for the [ alleged ] error [ in the procurement process ] . ’” clinicomp int’l v . united states ,
, 443 ( fed . cl . 2013 ) ( “while this court lacks jurisdiction to review a gao decision outright , it may assess whether the gao decision was rational in order to determine whether the procurement action being challenged — the agency’s corrective action predicated on that gao decision — was reasonable . ” ) ( citing honeywell , inc . , 870 f . 2d at 647 - 648 ) . under § 1491 ( b ) ( 1 ) , the court has jurisdiction in bid protest cases “to render judgment on an action by an interested party objecting to a solicitation by a federal agency for bids or proposals for a proposed contract or to a proposed award or the award of a contract or any alleged violation of statute or regulation in connection with a procurement or a proposed procurement . ” 28 u . s . c . 1491 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( 2012 ) . an agency protest is not a procurement . thus , while draken may disagree with the agency’s denial of its protest , the court does not have jurisdiction to review or remand the agency’s protest decision , but instead reviews the agency’s underlying procurement decision or procurement - related actions . in any event , plaintiff’s challenge to the agency’s protest decision here simply rehashes the grounds of protest it pursued in this forum - - which this court rejected without evaluating the agency protest decision . conclusion the court denies plaintiff’s motion for judgment on the administrative record and plaintiff’s motion for injunctive relief . the court grants defendant’s motion for judgment on the administrative record and intervenor’s motion for judgment on the administrative record . the court directs the clerk to enter judgment accordingly . s / mary ellen coster williams mary ellen coster williams judge 15


botswana telecommunications corporation ( btc ) is a telecommunications and internet service provider in botswana .

btc is headquartered in gaborone .

it provides telecommunications services all over the country and the majority of its services are in the capital city , gaborone and the second largest city , francistown .

currently it has over 100 000 customer access lines in service .

the company was formally as government entity but is now as public entity listed on the botswana stock exchange as botswana telecommunications limited ( btcl )

botswana telecommunications corporation

botswana telecommunications corporation limited ( btcl ) has signed a non - equity partnership agreement with international mobile network and service provider vodafone .
commencement date of 11 january confirmed . botswana ' s government has concluded the lengthy process of privatising one of the country ' s oldest parastatals , botswana telecommunications corporation . . .
botswana telecommunications corporation limited ( btcl ) will list on the botswana stock exchange ( bse ) in april next year , according to the minister of transport and communications , mr tshenolo mabeo .
communications services , including internet service provision , telecommunications equipment , and software are the leading telecommunications sub - sectors .
mr mabeo said privatising btcl had been a long hard task , which commenced about a decade ago and necessitated the development of new laws and reconstruction of the former botswana telecommunications corporation ( btc ) .
approval of the telecommunications act of 1996 [ no . 15 of 1996 ] ; establishment of the botswana telecommunication authority ( bta ) and the beginning of liberalisation of the telecommunications market .
btc was granted a fifteen ( 15 ) year licence . bocra issued interconnection guidelines and the first interconnection ruling between botswana telecommunication corporation ( btc ) , mascom wireless and orange botswana .
mr taylor explained that they were established in 1980 and have since grown into a leading telecommunications provider in botswana . bopa
some of the state enterprises that were privatized and offloaded in recent memory include botswana telecommunications corporation ( btc ) , water affairs as well as bamangwato concessions limited ( bcl ) . air botswana now joins botswana meat commission ( bmc ) on the ranks of state companies awaiting privatization while br could follow soon .
study on the pricing of telecommunications services in botswana . itu secretary general mr . yoshio untsumi officially opened the bocra office .
paul taylor , ceo of botswana telecommunications corporation is rising to the challenge of transforming the country’s telecom incumbent into a customer centric , world class operator in preparation for the next phase of its evolution : privatisation and backbone separation .
hosting of the telecommunications regulators association of southern africa ( trasa ) programme office . bocra moved into its own building ( the current office ) . national roaming was suspended . bocra issued two rulings directing botswana telecommunications corporation ( btc ) to provide leased line capacity to two internet service providers ( isps ) .
btc - botswana telecommunications corporation ltd . published this content on 27 june 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein . distributed by public , unedited and unaltered , on 28 june 2017 12 : 14 : 07 utc .
( btcl ) , the country ' s established public telecommunications operator . . .
botswana has a reasonably developed telecommunications system , although slow internet and high data costs remain a business constraint . the botswana telecommunications corporation ( btc ) provides landline services and competes with cellular consortiums mascom wireless ( an affiliate of south africa’s mtn ) , and orange for cellular service . the cellular market is performing well with especially strong penetration and coverage . botswana has one of the highest cell phone penetration rates in africa .
currently btc is the only fixed line operator in botswana . bemobile is the third largest cellco of botswana in terms of subscribers
botswana should anticipate the proliferation of new superrich oligarchs as a season of privatising state enterprises looks set to continue beyond air botswana .
botswana telecommunications corporation ( btc ) announces its results for the financial year ended 31 march 2017 . btc ' s strategy for the first year post listing , was to ensure the return of value to shareholders by delivering on its financial commitments as outlined in the initial public offering ( ipo ) prospectus .
the challenge botswana telecommunications corporation ( btc ) is still government owned and the only fixed operator in botswana . in 2010 , the government announced it was planning to partially privatise the company and to create a completely separate wholesale infrastructure business . here is what paul had to say about where this project stands at the moment and how he sees it impacting btc going forward ?
official opening of the spectrum monitoring facility – the spectrum house . market study of the telecommunications sector in botswana and the beginning of the mobile phone sim - cards registration requirement .
botswana telecommunications corporation ( btc ) ; mascom wireless ( mtn ) ; orange botswana ( vista cellular ) ; bemobile ; botsnet ; mtn business ; infobotswana ( ibis ) ; broadband botswana internet ( bbi ) ; opq net ; mega internet ; global broadband solution ( gbs ) ; tsagae communications ; virtual business network services ( vbn ) ; bytes technology ; fourth dimension ; hi - performance systems ; microteck enterprises ; tharinet ; netspread ; first national bank .
when it became the first state owned enterprise to list on the botswana stock exchange in 2015 , botswana telecommunications corporation ( btc ) a lot of detractors were quick to prophesy its failure but two years down the line , btcl is one of the best performing entities listed on the bse , and on monday , btcl was observed as the best performing stock on the local bourse year to date .
have the latest telecommunications industry news delivered to your inbox by subscribing to paul ' s free weekly news & views .
development of the telecommunications technical specifications and type approval procedures . development of the telephone numbering policy and the spectrum management strategy .
the botswana stock exchange’s domestic company index ( dci ) seems to be on its way up following the successful listing of botswana telecommunications corporation limited . the dci surged by 0 . 63 % on friday 8th to end the day at 10 , 276 . 40 points up from the previous day’s 10 , 211 . 18 . the surge helped reverse losses that have pulled down the index to 3 . 8 % in the first quarter of 2016 .
privatisation agency said opening could be one of the biggest in botswana ' s history .
btcl will have its initial public offering in early november on the botswana stock exchange .
plot 50350 , khama crescent ( 10 , 372 . 16 mi ) gaborone , botswana 00000
buddecomm is a global independent telecommunications research and consultancy company , specialising in strategic business reports and operating the largest telecoms research service on the internet .
btcl managing director , mr paul taylor , who described the journey to the corporation’s privatization as ‘a remarkable one’ , said privatisation allows entities to stand on their own feet and grow organically .
study on further liberalisation of the telecommunications market in botswana that led to the august 2006 minister’s pronouncement on the lifting of the restriction on the provision of voip by value added network service providers and permission for mobile operators to self - provide transmission links .
installation of the automated frequency management system ( afms ) which simplifies many of the responsibilities of radio frequency spectrum administration such as licensing , engineering analysis , frequency assignment and monitoring . study on cost model and pricing framework for the telecommunications market in botswana .
u . s . exports of telecommunication equipment to botswana stood at $ 1 . 7m in 2011 , but this figure does not reflect those products exported to south africa and imported to botswana by south african distributors .
postponed ipo will now happen in the first half of the year , say authorities . botswana ' s government still intends to go ahead with the planned listing on the bourse of fixed - lined telco botswana . . .
the annual financial statements are presented in botswana pula ( bwp ) which is the company ' s functional currency .
btcl ' s scheduled december ipo listing has been postponed until next year . botswana ' s fixed telephone line parastatal ,
allocation of the fixed wireless access spectrum and the development of a cost model and pricing framework for communications services in botswana .
in 2015 , government , in a historic move offloaded 49 % of the company shares and retained a 51 % controlling stake in the telecommunication giant , during the listing batswana who invested in the corporation were bluntly told by critics that they were throwing their money down the drain .
( btcl ) . in april this year btcl listed on the local bourse , the botswana stock exchange , and has since . . .
total telecom meets the information and research needs of the global communications industry , from breaking news to expert analysis . it is the leading communications link between end users and the vendors , carriers and resellers of telecommunications technology and services .
directive on the implementation of the recommendations of the cost model and pricing framework for communications services in botswana leading to the reduction of wholesale and retail tariffs .
the youth of this country . thanks btcl and botswana police service servive agreememt to allow us to use our savings to buy our shares . . . .
btcl ' s strategy and privatisation programme needs more time says md . the initial public offering ( ipo ) for botswana ' s fixed telephone line parastatal ,
‘at the end of the day , the main goal is to eradicate the poverty of access to information . ’ ‘here in botswana , enabling information access is probably the most important thing . our goal is to eradicate a poverty of a different kind : the poverty of access to information . that is certainly one of the key drivers in botswana . ’
under the non - equity partnership agreement , btcl becomes vodafone ' s preferred partner in botswana . the two companies will jointly offer a range of products and services to business and consumer customers .
btc wishes to inform its shareholders who do not have bank accounts and hold less than fifty thousand shares , that effective febraury 2018 , their dividends will be paid or disbursed through botswana post office .
the group holds the view that increased listings of indigenous companies can bolster botswana’s commercial standing , further diversify the economy through the financial sector and in turn allow for greater distribution of wealth across the population .
btcl boss , anthony masunga , who took the reins from paul taylor , observes that his company’s listing story became a success because of the support from government , botswana stock exchange and public enterprises and economic privatization agency ( peepa ) . “btc‘s listing is a watershed moment in the economic inclusive narrative of botswana , government has always envisaged more businesses listing in the stock exchange and participating in the local economy , ” noted masunga .
bse ceo thapelo tsheole referred to the btcl listing as one of the biggest that they have had in this country and the one that also made them work very hard . he said btcl is the 23rd company to register with bse , and the only telecommunications party . according to peepa ceo kgotla ramaphane this is the first privatisation of a public enterprise that they have completed . he congratulated btcl for having moved from a parastatal to a limited company with only one shareholder to becoming a listed company with thousands of batswana as shareholders . “you are truly the proverbial butterfly . i , therefore , urge you to go out there and beautify the telecommunications sector with your colours , ” he said .
in an all - round futuristic attitude , the minister for transport and communications ; kitso mokaila , told the press this thursday that they might consider privatizing botswana railways as a way of shaking off loss making parastatals . mokaila stated that his desire is to see independent parastatals that generate own income instead of gobbling state funds . he mentioned that in communicating to the botswana railways board of directors , he advised them to maintain an open minded line towards privatization of the train company .
he said citizens would be able to obtain hard copies of application forms and prospectus from all btcl offices , botswana post offices , and barclays bank branches on 11 january , while the offer closing date has been set for 4 march 2016 .
beginning of competition and awarding of the first fifteen year mobile licences to mascom wireless ( pty ) ltd and vista cellular ( now orange botswana ( pty ) ltd ) . the licences were awarded with a ten ( 10 ) year exclusivity period .
according to btc executives the company aims at continuing being a financially stable corporation which realises growth in business space at all levels guided by best practice standards . “the btc story is a story about the future , about saving and investing . it is about accelerating the rate of economic growth by stimulating entrepreneurship and investment . btc offers potential for financial gain through share value growth and dividends when they are declared , self - wealth generation , greater understanding of and participation in economic activity , ” he concluded .
lucara’s share price has appreciated by about 22 % in the first quarter of the year . while other companies trading under the foreign counter remained largely flat , botswana diamond and shumba energy slid down to shed off 15 % and 8 % of share price respectively .
according to btcl chief executive officer , anthony masunga , btcl stock is currently trading at p1 . 23 , a 23 % appreciation on the listing price , a sentiment he highlighted at one of botswana stock exchange regular seminars resourced by his company on monday the 13th .
“i am privileged to stand here today and set in motion the final steps towards a privatised btcl , a first of its kind in botswana . government has had this privatisation vision for many years and now we are the first of its fruits , ” mr mabeo said .
effective regulatory reform has turned the botswana’s telecom market into one of the most liberalised in the region . there is a service - neutral licensing regime which takes into account the increasing convergence of technologies and services . a number of operators now compete effectively , particularly in the mobile segment .
this strategic partnership with btcl for botswana will enable us to expand the reach of our products and services within africa and extends our footprint to 55 markets worldwide . it will also deliver enhanced roaming benefits for btcl ' s consumer and multinational corporate customers ,
vodafone partner markets chief executive stefano gastaut .
the btc ' s strategy of transformation and growth is underpinned by a drive the telecommunications landscape continues to evolve , with further to create a sustainable business and shareholder value , focusing on business liberalisation of the market . btc remains very optimistic about its future growth , customer experience , operational efficiency , innovation and engendering prospects , as it continues to leverage on its unique product offering and wide a culture of high performance . network coverage to consolidate its position to become a market leader in
btc began offering 49 % of its shares for sale to botswana citizens in january 2016 , signifying the first privatization move by the gob despite its longstanding privatization commitments . the sale of btc stock had been delayed approximately a dozen times . the gob will retain 51 % ownership and foreigners are not permitted to buy stock .
dsl service provided by btc is expensive , though reasonably reliable . dedicated bandwidth , essential for some businesses , is expensive but the government is trying to lower costs . there are no restrictions on the provision of voice over internet protocol by value - added network service providers . the ministry of information , science , and technology has the authority to issue licenses for telecom services including mobile telephones , data communications , payphones , sale of telecommunications equipment , and internet services . no restrictions apply to foreign partnerships in mobile services .
btc plans to achieve its business goals through various strategies , including : maintaining up - to - date technology in the implementation of services ; maintaining and enhancing relationships with customers ; increase revenue volumes from existing and new products and decrease costs to offset the anticipated declines in telecommunications tariffs ; and leveraging its leadership in a converged fixed mobile networks in three growth areas : voice , data and internet . new services will focus on fixed / wireless / mobile / internet convergence , as well as virtual private networks and advanced data services .
the btc board of directors has declared a final dividend of 11 . 09 thebe per share , payable to all shareholders registered in the books of the company at close of business on friday 14 july 2017 . the dividend will be paid net of applicable withholding taxes under the botswana income tax act , on or about friday 25 august 2017 .
however , the latest estimates from analysts at trading economics points to a challenging year for the bse . they project the bse’s dci to decline to 10 , 000 points in 2016 q2 , followed by 9620 points in q3 and a further decline in q3 that will leave the index at 9390 points . “we model the past behaviour of botswana stock market ( bse dci ) using vast amounts of historical data and we adjust the coefficients of the econometric model by taking into account our analysts assessments and future expectations . the forecast for - botswana stock market ( bse dci ) - was last predicted on wednesday , april 13 , 2016 , ” read part of the note from trading economics .
“when i wrote to the board , i said to them that if it is possible we should privatize botswana railways so that we break new grounds and start transporting goods into west , central and east africa . ” when probed further , mokaila stated that he cannot say for certain at the moment whether they will privatize br stating that they intend to conduct a research beforehand .
although the number of mobile subscribers fell sharply at the end of 2016 , botswana still has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in africa . popular use of multiple sim cards from different operators has delayed the introduction of mobile number portability , with the telecom regulator not convinced of the facility’s economic benefits . in a bid to generate new revenue streams and secure market share , the three mobile network operators ( mnos ) – mascom wireless ( an affiliate of south africa’s mtn ) , orange botswana ( backed by orange group ) and btc – have entered the underdeveloped broadband sector by adopting of 3g , lte and wimax technologies . in the fixed - line broadband market they compete with a large number of isps , some of which have rolled out their own wireless access infrastructure .
‘to date , the government has decided which assets will transfer from btc into a specially created vehicle called botswana fiber networks . the current estimates are that the separation process will take between 12 and 18 months to complete and then the ipo will take place . however , a date of 20 - something at the moment is speculative because what we first need to do is define the details of separation and the ipo beyond it .
bihl group believes that local companies stand to benefit financially and professionally from becoming listed operations . botswana stock exchange ( bse ) continues to be a viable platform for business growth . these sentiments were shared by the bihl group ceo , catherine lesetedi - letegele , ahead of the bse listings conference . the group has also announced its official participation and sole diamond sponsorship of the conference , billed for march 9 th , 2017 in gaborone .
the government of botswana has recently moved to privatise state owned enterprises that are notably bleeding government coffers and are running at perennial losses . experts are now saying the government should use the same model it used with btcl asserts disposal , in which the state retained a controlling stake , with a significant shareholding offloaded to ordinary batswana . it appears btcl has now become today’s listing success story , and a model that now former critics prefer .
sharing his sentiments on the development , paul taylor , managing director at btcl said :
we are delighted to have entered into the non - equity strategic partnership with a global player of vodafone ' s standing . the partnership will allow us to better differentiate against competition , delivering innovative communications solutions for the benefit of our customers and visitors to botswana . vodafone , on the other hand , will draw on btcl ' s extensive network coverage .
“there is no doubt that the journey has been long . however , we are very happy to have reached the final stages . the privatization of btcl stems from the privatisation policy of botswana which was adopted in 2000 . the main aim of the policy is to implement a programme that would increase private sector participation in the economy and improve the efficiency , productivity and competitiveness of the public sector in delivering public services and infrastructure , ” mr ramaphane said .
the top 5 gainers in the first three months of the year were led by cresta , the leading hotel operator in the country . its share price has appreciated by 6 . 6 percent . following closely behind is the catherine lesetedi letegela’s led botswana insurance holdings limited which has advanced by 5 . 3 percent on the backdrop of impressive earnings . the third spot has been occupied by new african properties which outperformed all listed property companies as its share price jumped by 4 . 2 percent .
‘another key influence in my life was my grand - father . ’ ‘when i was a teenager , like most people that age i did not have a clear idea about what i wanted to do . i went to my grand - father in my late teens and i said to him ‘i really do not know what i would like to do when i grow up’ . he would have been in his late 70s or early 80s and he used to walk around in this shroud of smoke from a pipe he continually smoked . he looked at me and said : ‘if i were you boy i would go into telecommunications because that is the future’ . it was either a staggering insight or just good luck , as he was completely right and that is exactly what i did do . ’
the much delayed privatisation of btc has been facilitated by the transfer of network assets and the management of btc’s involvement in two key submarine cables to the newly created wholesale operator botswana fiber networks ( bofinet ) . btc through this process has been transformed into a retailer of services . an ipo was completed in april 2016 . there was considerable interest in the 44 % of the company made available , with 5 % reserved for employees and 51 % being retained by the state . some 50 , 000 private investors now have a stake in the operator .
regarding air botswana , mokaila conceded that the national carrier had been troubled citing among other reasons , the country’s population and unprofitable routes . he also revealed that his ministry has so far received 17 expressions of interest to take up 52 % of the national carrier’s stake . he however declined to name the individuals and companies that stepped up only stating that due process is still underway . he further revealed that they have roped in the services of international air transport association ( iata ) to assess the 17 expression of interest for viability , “to look for the best model , avoid job losses and come up with a good airline . ”
on the losing side , the pan - african financial services provider took a hit on its share price despite hitting the billion pula mark in revenue . letshego has seen its share price plummet by as much as 13 . 4 % . choppies , the retail giant that’s on an expansion plan , was the second biggest loser as its share price tanked by 6 . 8 percent . the third spot is taken by fnbb , as the largest bank by value in botswana saw its share price decline by 6 . 3 percent . engen did not do well as its share price contracted by 6 % , making it the 4th biggest loser . the 5th position was a tie between sechaba and stanchart with both companies losing out 5 % of share price value .
btc annual financial statements for the year ended 31 march 2018 . . . read more
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beginning date 2008 title variation phone book btc . . . phone book frequency annual vol / date range began with 2008 . note description based on first issue ; title from cover . continues btc telephone directory and yellow pages
setting up of the bta with the assistance of the swedish management group ( smg ) and publishing of the tender for the procurement of mobile telephone services .
licensing of the first two commercial fm broadcasting radio stations ; yarona fm and gabz - fm . bta awarded the first internet service providers’ licences .
implementation of the new seven digit - numbering plan . the international telecommunication union ( itu ) conducted a study on the bocra and declares it a best practice model for regulators and policy - makers to emulate .
introduction of the service neutral licensing regime leading to the birth of the btc mobile phone service arm - bemobile .
bocra will investigate a consumer complaint against a service provider if there is sufficient evidence to establish .
after a period of stagnation , the number of internet users has risen strongly in recent years , largely the result of lower prices following improvements in international connectivity . historically , the landlocked country has depended on satellites for its international bandwidth , and on other countries for transit capacity to landing points of international submarine fibre optic cable systems . the landing of additional cables in the region in recent years has improved the competitive situation in this sector , while prices for connectivity have fallen by up to 70 % . the stability and cheaper cost of fixed - line broadband services continues to attract subscribers , though mobile internet remains the preferred choice for most , particularly among the large proportion of younger people in the country .
report update includes telcos’ data to q1 2018 , regulator’s 2017 annual report and market data to q1 2017 , telecom maturity index tables , charts and analysis , recent market developments .
after being away from the market for 6 years , i am glad to see that your site has been enriched with more reports and opinions . i’m looking forward to exploring what i used to consider as the best reliable source of information in the market .
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the board is the custodian of corporate governance and it is responsible for ensuring that the . . .
speaking on behalf of bihl , the group’s pr , communications & marketing manager , tebogo keepetsoe said , “our participation as diamond sponsor at this year’s conference comes off the back of our continued belief in the local bourse . we encourage local companies to seriously consider listing as a way to expand their operations . through listing in 1991 , bihl was able to finance its growth in the local financial sector , benefit from the bespoke counsel of the bse and use our public - listed status to venture into markets beyond our borders . ”
bihl believes that there are several viable opportunities that listing has to offer . these include the following :
· access to large - scale fundraising : listing offers companies opportunity to raise the necessary capital to expand their operations , while allowing them to maintain their set operational costs . additionally , listing allows ready marketability of securities on a continuous basis .
· in addition to the initial fundraising from the initial public offer , listing allows exposure to raise a company’s asset value . a listed company by its very nature and in line with the compliance requirements of the bse , is a company that holds strong governance dear . this in turn raises a company’s corporate profile and opportunities to raise additional capital and grow the business through other means are made available , as the company becomes more known to the public and investors .
· brand awareness via public education . listing allows companies the opportunity to engage with the public and potential investors . in the future , the company benefits from reaching and influencing a wider audience , which offers opportunities for greater business development .
· listing allows a company the kind of profile , experience and stature needed for expansions into foreign markets . in 2016 for example , the group expanded its footprint into other country markets through the acquisition of a 25 . 1 % stake in nico holdings malawi , allowing the group to operate in malawi , zambia , tanzania , uganda and mozambique . the group’s asset management subsidiary , bifm , also penetrated the zambian market through a 49 % stake in aflife zambia , which deals with asset management and employee benefits in that market .
concluded mrs . keepetsoe , “rre tsheole and his team have evidently made good strides in the securities industry . we commend bse for this campaign and trust that more batswana businesspeople will be exposed to the opportunities of listing that await them . ”
officially listed in 1991 , with an issue that was over - subscribed by 273 % , bihl group is one of the veteran companies , with 26 years on the local bourse .
the bihl trust was established in 2007 to identify and support worthwhile initiatives within local communities . . .
bihl reinforced its commitment to corporate governance during 2012 , with the adoption and implementation of key . . .
welcome to the last issue , of stronger together for the year ! we are fortunate that we have been . . .
to colleagues of the bihl group , providing leading financial services involves diligence and . . .
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to vodafone best practice and will leverage products and services to enhance its value proposition to customers .
vodafone is said to operate in approximately 30 countries and partners with networks in over 50 countries , while btcl operates a fixed telephone line and mobile network bemobile .
seacom has upgraded its subsea cable system along africa ' s east coast by another 500g to 1 . 5tbps .
the risk and information solutions provider names sudhish mohan as its chief operating officer in sa .
technology can be used to verify candidates ' credentials - and research shows qualification and cv fraud in south africa had increased by 200 % in 2014 , says manpowergroup south africa ' s managing director , . . .
banks need to shake their conservative image and position themselves to do business with people who are techno - savvy and who expect quick results .
the amount of a non - refundable deposit paid by teleogy , the preferred bidder for 9mobile in nigeria , to the trustee for the bank syndicate presently holding ownership .
one channel has launched its acumatica product for construction called one build , an end - to - end cloud business management system for the construction industry .
a leading supplier and implementer of sap business one and erp software technology , 4most instilled confidence for its client and leading automotive spray painting and assembly supplier valoworx .
nec xon is creating three new cyber defence operations centres ( cdoc ) , one in nigeria , another in senegal , and the third in mauritius in addition to the existing facilities in south africa .
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costs decreased by 26 % to p1 . 401bn from p1 . 883bn in the prior year .
the company will continue to make significant investments in its network and people , in order to provide quality , reliable and affordable services to its customers , while creating value for its shareholders .
the financial statements have been prepared on a historical cost basis , except as modified by the measurement of certain financial instruments at fair value and the revaluation of certain assets , and on a going concern basis .
increased by 8 % year on year , compared to an almost flat performance of 0 . 4 % in the previous financial year march 2016 . the increase was anchored by an across the board increase in fixed , data , and mobile revenues as follows :
fixed telephony revenues increased by 4 % . fixed voice continues to provide a solid revenue base for the company contributing 32 % to total revenues .
data services revenues increased by 21 % , with contribution to total revenues increasing from 26 % to 29 % .
total costs declined by 26 % year on year . no impairment adjustment was recognised for the year following an impairment assessment exercise carried out at year end , compared to the p522m impairment recognised in the previous year . further , cost of sales declined by 6 % .
cash balances increased by 32 % from p390m to p516m . cash balances were boosted by the capital raised during listing of p250m . additionally , cash generated from operations increased by 32 % from p254m to p335m .
dividends paid during the year amounted to p90m comprising a march 2016 dividend of p52m which was paid in august 2016 , and a september 2016 interim dividend of p38m which was paid in february 2017 .
purchase of ppe ( capital expenditure ) increased by 57 % on the back of capital commitments to strategic projects , namely ; mobile 3g / 4g expansion , billing platforms convergence , data centre and network operation centre ( noc ) .
total assets increased by 19 % from prior year p1 . 9bn to current year at p2 . 3bn . property , plant and equipment grew by 23 % owing to the roll out of mobile network expansion ( 3g and lte ) , billing platforms convergence and other strategic programmes .
the youth to join in their droves in buying the btcl shares . this is an opportunit
have over the years see it grow in leaps and bounds . i would also like to encourage btcl to disclose a minimum purchase one would need acquire so that young people can place themselves
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the government has invested $ 38 million into the development of the west africa cable system , an undersea cable connecting southern and western african countries to the united kingdom via portugal . bofinet also continues to extend their fiber backbone to cover other areas in the country .
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having worked as a telecom business leader in 60 countries on 4 continents , he has led successful ipos , privatisations , acquisitions and license bids across the world . enriched by his extensive global experience , paul definitely is the man for the challenge .
i recently had the pleasure of talking with him about the intricacies he faces in transforming btc , the plans in motion and what makes him the man for the job . this is what he had to say .
‘we expect between 12 - 18 months for the assets separation to complete and probably a period of time beyond that for stabilisation before the ipo actually takes place . ’
there is a lot of work still to do in terms of operationalizing the assets that will transfer into the special purpose vehicle ( spv ) , as the license conditions for the spv are yet to be published . ’
‘there is a discussion ongoing at the moment about how services are deployed from the spv . whether it is staged over time such that we complete within the 12 - 18 months or whether it is a big bang at some point down that time continuum . but the situation is not entirely clear at this point . ’
‘the most important challenge in this evolving environment is managing multi - dimensional change . ’ ‘making sure btc is ready for the upcoming revolution is quite a challenge and managing the different facets of change is the key to our success . change comes in 4 distinct and discreet areas : the first one is about the organisational change , moving largely from a product led organisation to one which is much more market oriented and delivers against its fixed mobile convergence ( fmc ) vision . at the moment we have a vision about convergence but the organisation does not really reflect that . the second dimension is about moving towards a privatized entity .
the third is about the separation work which is ongoing which will take certain backbone assets and potentially local access network assets and put them into a separate facilities based carrier . the fourth is of the result of those assets going into a facilities based carrier actually facing competition right across the spectrum of operations . and these are all going simultaneously . ’
‘firstly , the terrain is hostile in a number of areas , with the kalahari desert sitting in the middle ground . secondly , the population outside of gaborone is fairly thinly and widely distributed . so keeping up network and services quality in that environment with significant distribution is a challenge in its own right . also , offering these services in these conditions at a sustainable cost is a constant challenge . ’
in some ways , the whole focus of btc will change from a wholesale / retail company towards a model where retail is more dominant . this will change the nature of the company , the way it offers services and manages its people . here is an insight of what paul sees as critical steps to ensure btc is prepared for this new phase and how he will ensure a successful transformation .
‘aligning the business mentally and organizationally against a vision is key . ’ ‘what exists at the moment is an articulated vision of convergence but an organization that is not really placed to deliver against it . so a lot of work up to now has gone into a number of areas . we initially refreshed the mission , vision and values of the company and have introduced a new strategic framework so that we can assess our progress over the next 2 years against a number of well defined measures of success . with this in place , everybody can see how they are contributing to our long term success . ’
‘we have spent a lot of time getting the basics right . ’ ‘2012 was about basics . it was about making sure that we have the right skills in the right places , with the right processes and that is a piece of work that is still underway . the whole company needs to focus on doing basic things brilliantly well because until we have actually got a platform for change that is absolutely robust in place , change will be risky . change is ongoing because it is an inevitable part of where we are , but our number one priority is to create a very stable platform upon which all this change can be exercised . 2013 is really about a journey of beginning and hopefully completing the transformation to a large extend . and 2014 , the third year in the strategic program , will be about delivering the vision in terms of revenue from fmc and data services . ’
paul is a visionary with a thirst for new experiences and no fear of challenges . i discussed with him what he thinks has influenced him to take this path and become the global citizen he is now .
i think the greatest influence in my career is the diversity of experience in the + 20 years that i have been working outside of the uk . i have been fortunate enough to work in over 60 countries and live long term on 4 continents . so looking at different ways of doing business , different cultures , different environments , just that level of diversity in its own right is a significant influence on the way i look at the world and conduct business .
this interview was conducted by isabelle paradis of hot telecom , it was not produced by and does not reflect the views of total telecom .
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mokaila further said that one of the aspects that will ease his ideal of continental trade is the construction of kazungula bridge which is both road and rail in kind . he said that his ministry intends to adopt a forward sighted approach “to see if a train will not pass through the wildlife area of kasane as we export into central africa since there are wildlife issues of migration routes . ”
he further revealed that when construction is complete , the kazungula corridor will service 800 vehicles daily as compared to the 200 that are able to flow into and out of zambia daily . deputy permanent secretary for transport in mokaila’s ministry , isaac moepeng , also denied that the country’s south - north railway has reached its end life . the rail line has been washed away by rains numerous times in the recent past , derailing and running trains aground . mokaila revealed that the recent damage to br resultant of derailed trains cost government a staggering figure of p 8 million .
moepeng , however revealed that , with chinese assistance , in 1985 br overhauled the then 40 kilogram per meter section of the railway to 50 kilogram per meter upraised on concrete sleepers . he further noted that this meant that government can now move more tonnages of goods on the tracks revealing that the railway still has 32 years of life left in it . moepeng stated that , in fact , br is underutilising the railway as they move 2 million tons of goods per annum on a railway that has the aptitude to haul up to 4 million tons .
he also said that the dire situation at the carrier is evident as can be seen with the downscaling of aircrafts from formerly 8 to the current 4 . mokaila also acknowledged that the carrier’s pilots are leaving en masse for better prospects elsewhere , stating that : “i am happy when they leave because they get better opportunities . ” moepeng , for his part , revealed that out of the airliner’s 40 pilots , “10 have left and some are still going . ”
mokaila , under whose ministry falls the department of roads stated that his ministry will compile an assessment of the country’s damaged road network and then make presentations to cabinet . he further stated that the assessment will determine the quantum of the damages which will advise him when he requests funding from cabinet . “there has been road damage after the recent rains while other roads were in a bad state long before the recent rains . some will need maintenance while some will need rebuilding . ”