Freethinker Defence Industries
| Freethinker Defence Industries
| ||
| Type | Listed Corporation | |
| Navarre Stock Exchange | FDIN | |
| Founded | 7th April 1885 | |
| Headquarters | Commerce, Navarre, The Freethinker Commonwealth | |
| Key people | Sir Alan Talbot (President, Director-General) | |
| Industry | Shipbuilding, Heavy Engineering, Support Services | |
| Products | Ships, Plant Engineering, Design Services, Side Arms, AFVs, Vehicles | |
| Revenue | US$28.6 Trillion | |
| Operating income | ||
| Net income | ||
| Employees | 4,929,000 | |
| Subsidiaries | Heraclitus Group | |
| Website | www.fdigroup.ftc | |
Overview
Freethinker Defence Industries (Group), also known as FDI and FDI Group, is the largest privately owned corporation in The Freethinker Commonwealth, employing over four million people in the Commonwealth and worldwide and boasting annual sales in excess of 14 trillion Mintels, supplying scores of national and private clients with some of the most powerful security and engeineering hardware. Most famous for its vast naval catalogue and novel innovations in the maritime world, FDI provides a full range of land, sea, and air military and non-military solutions for the protection and security of a client's state or company. The company has also recently expanded its own sector base as well, moving more fully into civilian shipbuilding, security services and even oil extraction.
The corporation is in fact a sprawling conglomerate of many different companies and firms, each with a specialised function. The result of this is the claim that FDI can, in the words of Managing director Sir Alan Talbot, "design, build, maintain and manage hundreds of different solutions to almost any security threat or situation you can barely even imagine. The company prides itself on not only building and supplying new equipment, but offering full in-service support, trials, system training and refit and SLEP programs, providing full-life support for any weapon system offered. This, it is claimed by the corporation, is what sets the company apart from its many rivals in the arms manufacturing and trading world.
Recently, the company has gone on a huge overseas expansion program, looking to acquire new facilities, personnel, and client lists. The company is currently also looking at expanding its domestic customer base and diversifying into space-based technology to further penetrate into foreign markets.
History
As a conglomerate, the legal entity of FDI has a very recent history only, but can trace some of its progenitor companies back to the eightenth century among the first shipbuilding and engineering companies to set up in Navarre.
Domestic Subsidiaries
Land
- Location
- Navarre, Delta City (Freethinker Mainland)
- Product/Expertise
- Side-arms, Artillery Systems, High-calibre Gun pieces and Mountings, and Research and Development.
- Personnel
- 310,000
- Location
- Navarre, Benarbor, Portanova (Freethinker Mainland)
- Product/Expertise
- Security Services, Industrial Espionage, Training Services
- Personnel
- 125,000
- Location
- Navarre, Port Blanche (Freethinker Mainland)
- Product/Expertise
- Armoured Vehicles, Logistics Vehicles and Research/Development
- Personnel
- 350,000
Aerospace
- Location
- Navarre, Freethinker Mainland
- Product/Expertise
- Full Aerospace Engineering and Research/Development
- Personnel
- 650,000
Maritime
- Location
- Port Blanche, Freethinker Mainland
- Product/Expertise
- Full Maritime Engineering
- Personnel
- 670,000
- Location
- Navarre, Freethinker Mainland
- Product/Expertise
- Full Maritime Engineering and Research/Development
- Personnel
- 450,000
- Location
- Navarre, Freethinker Mainland
- Product/Expertise
- Military/Civilian Engines and Research/Development
- Personnel
- 152,000
Electronics
- Location
- Navarre, Freethinker Mainland
- Product/Expertise
- Military Electronics, Military/Civilian Communications, and Research/Development
- Personnel
- 750,000
Civilian
- Location
- Port Blanche, Freethinker Mainland
- Product/Expertise
- Oil Extraction and Refining, Powerplant Construction and Research/Development
- Personnel
- 250,000
International Subsidiaries
- Heraclitus Group
- Location
- Hengelo, Knootoss
- Product/Expertise
- Full Maritime Engineering, Full Aerospace Engineering, Research/Development and IT & Services
- Personnel
- 322,000
Relationship with the Freethinker Government
The relationship between the Government and FDI is extremely close, and the company enjoys a significant preferential advantage in bidding for most government contracts. This position has come under threat from newer firms branching into defence bidding, especially in areas where the technology involved has dual civilian/military use. This has somewhat disadvantaged FDI's near monopoly position prior to this, but has utilised joint bidding processes and embarked on large effiiency drives to ensure the company remains the primary defence contractor in the Commonwealth.
The corporation is also significantly looking at establishing a similar relationship with new Government contacts, trying to expand its preferential base in order to secure investments and future defence contracts.
Controversies
Domestic Competition and Monopoly Laws
The sheer size and marketing power of the FDI conglomerate have bought many enquiries from the Ombudsmen for Fair Trading into the effective monopoly FDI holds in its competing markets and how this affects proper competition and ensuring reasonable prices, especially for the Government itself.
Recenty, more competitors, both domestic niche manufacturers boosted by regional development funds and foreign rivals have begun to eat into the market, especially in new areas where FDI itself does not have a traditional specialisation.
Government Lobbying
The sheer economic power of the company has bought much controversy with regards to how much influence FDI wields within the Freethinker Government, especially within the Ministry of Defence.
A number of scandals have erupted over payments and incentives given for orders.
Security Force
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the company is the large, paramilitary security force known as the Blackwatch. Created as a seperate security firm to protect both company property and senior executives, the company has taken advantage of the Private Security Act (2005), (the Mercenary Edict, a controversial act in itself and sponsored heavily by FDI-backed lobby groups) to become nothing short of a modern, well-equipped private army, with capabilities that could put many states to shame.
There have been continuous allegations against FDI and its operating managers that this force has been used to intimidate the more vocal critics of the company as well as being significantly over the top in terms of dealing with striking workers and arms trade protesters.