The company recently received another sizable contract, for communications upgrades on four U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft.
The Navy E-6B Mercury provides airborne command & control, and communications relay capabilities that may be needed in a national emergency.
Ironically, these capabilities could've made a difference in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, where LifeCare Hospitals, another Carlyle affiliate, lost 25 patients..
The Louisiana Hospital Association took on the task of coordinating evacuations from dead hospitals, while President George W. Bush dilly dallied. LifeCare's 25 deaths got no mention in Bush's Katrina investigation, botched by Frances Townsend.
LifeCare continues fighting Katrina lawsuits, aided by the government's inept response and investigatory silence. ARINC settled a suit brought by the City of St. Louis Park in Minnesota. POGO.org reported:
In December 2007, the city of St. Louis Park, MN terminated a contract with ARINC to build a solar-powered Wi-Fi network because of delays and performance problems. The city filed a breach of contract lawsuit seeking $1.7 million in damages. The suit was settled in November 2008. According to the local media, neither party admitted fault or responsibility, and ARINC agreed to pay $1.05 million and turn over ownership of 8 miles of fiber-optic cable and related equipment.ARINC's and LifeCare's performance problems came in close proximity to Carlyle ownership. Katrina struck weeks after Carlyle purchased LifeCare from GTCR Golder Rauner.
Will improved communication capabilities impact the next disaster response and investigative report? Time will tell.
