The Washington-based Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm with more than $18.3 billion under management, is becoming increasingly active in the aerospace industry. Lately it has focused on propulsion, acquiring Standard Aero in June and in 2003 buying the FiatAvio business (now Avio) from the Italian automaker, in partnership with Finmeccanica.
Carlyle also owns 33.8 percent of QinetiQ, one of Europe's largest science and technology organizations comprising the greater part of what was formerly the British Government's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. QinetiQ has a partnership with Lufthansa Technik on quiet cabin technologies for business aircraft.
But Carlyle is best known as the investment fund for former world leaders and Washington insiders, including former U.S. President George Bush and former British Prime Minister John Major.
Among its high-powered associates are:
Former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III;
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Frank C. Carlucci;
Former Director of the Office of Management and Budget Richard G. Darman;
Former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission William E. Kennard;
Former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Arthur Levitt; and
Former President of the Philippines Fidel Ramos.
Its current portfolio of aerospace investments includes:
