ASDWire distribution date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:02:00 GMT +0100

Westar Achieves ISO 9001:2000 Certification

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Jan. 10, 2008 --[ASDWire]-- Westar Aerospace & Defense Group, Inc., a subsidiary of QinetiQ North America, has been registered as ISO 9001:2000 compliant by EAGLE Registrations, Inc. This certification is based on a series of reviews that, collectively, confirm that Westar has developed and effectively implemented a viable quality management system in support of customer requirements.

To be registered and certified as ISO 9001:2000 compliant, companies must develop and put into practice a quality management system (QMS) that defines all key processes to be followed by all employees throughout the organization.

The series of reviews conducted by an accredited, third-party registrar such as EAGLE, include a comprehensive assessment of a company's quality manual; a special Readiness Review to ensure all implementation activity is on schedule for institutionalization across the organization; and a formal Registration Audit to confirm compliance with ISO 9001: 2000 QMS requirements.

“This certification reflects Westar’s ongoing commitment to providing our customers with the highest quality services in the most cost-effective manner,” said Westar President Garrett Martz.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a network of national standards institutes from 157 countries, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO is the source of the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 families of quality and environmental management standards and are some 15,000 international standards for business, government and society.

About Westar:
Westar Aerospace & Defense Group, Inc. is a leading systems engineering contractor with more than 1300 professionals around the world delivering high-value engineering, software solutions, logistics information management, flight training, and IT technical support services to the U.S. Department of Defense, allied governments and select commercial customers. Westar is a member of the QinetiQ North America family of companies, which has more than 5,500 engineers, scientists and professionals working in partnership with customers to develop innovative technology solutions to meet the challenges of national defense, homeland security and information access. QinetiQ North America is part of QinetiQ Group plc, (QQ. LSE) one of the world’s leading defense and security technology companies.

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For more information on Westar, visit: www.westar.com

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