War, unfortunately, remains a fact of life, and given that America still has enemies, our troops fighting those enemies in far-flung outposts need and deserve the best equipment and supplies available, besides all the moral support the folks at home can provide.
Accordingly, Pennsylvania-based Defense Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Defense Solutions Holding, Inc.(OTC:BB: DFSH, Stock Forum), announced at the start of April that it has joined the team producing a NATO-compatible armored personnel carrier, the BTR-4, for the world military and police markets.
Defense Solutions Holdings trades on the Over-the-Counter market under the symbol DFSH. It was established in 2001, the year of 9-11, with a corporate objective to deliver the world's best solutions for service members who deserve the best equipment, technology, and training, in performing their jobs with minimal risk to their lives and well-being. The company has worked closely with a barrage of government agencies – even as high as the White House – to devise and implement strategies to support armed forces and civilian programs.
The BTR-4, which will be made in Ukraine and assembled in Macedonia, enables troops to “communicate, operate, train and exercise with, and be supported by NATO forces in worldwide contingency operations,” according to Defense Solutions’ CEO Tim Ringgold, a retired U.S. Army officer. The vehicle will be outfitted with the company’s engines, transmissions, communications, fire control upgrades and possibly weapons, once the company gets the okay from the Defense Department.
The BTR-4 was unveiled at the International Defense Exhibition in February in the United Arab Emirates and attracted interest from Iraqi officials and officials from other countries. The BTR-4 can be armed with a 30mm cannon, a 7.62mm coaxial machine-gun, anti-tank missiles, and an automatic grenade launcher. It can also be fitted with different turret weapons modules. The BTR-4 has a maximum road speed of 68 mph and can cross water obstacles at speeds of 8-10 kph.
It’s just the latest in a series of military-oriented contracts for this very busy firm. Defense Solutions is a subcontractor for the SeaPort-Enhanced IDIQ Multiple Award Contract, which makes electronic procurement of engineering, technical, and programmatic support a reality. Other contracts include work as a Prime Contractor through a program, designed to provide agencies with fast, affordable access to law enforcement, firefighting, and security products and services.
DFSH’s price has dangled between 52-week high of $1.50 (all prices in U.S. dollars unless noted otherwise) last December, to a recent low of about 12 cents in late March. In early April, the price sat around 15 cents, in the lower part of that range. Its success at finding lucrative contracts aimed at shortening the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan should merit a watch for bargain hunters seeking a company on the march.