BAE Systems Inc. — the British defense contractor’s U.S. subsidiary — has agreed to acquire Eclipse Electronic Systems from Esterline Corp. for nearly $28 million cash in order to add new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products to BAE’s portfolio.The transaction is scheduled to complete in the first quarter of 2015 and is pending regulatory approvals, BAE said Thursday.
Dallas-based Eclipse Electronic Systems provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services to U.S. defense and intelligence agencies.
Tom Arseneault, chief operating officer at BAE Systems Inc., said the subsidiary will work to create new sensor technologies for intelligence collection through a combination of BAE’s ISR tools and Eclipse’s products.
“This proposed acquisition fully aligns with BAE Systems’ strategy to invest in advanced technologies critical to U.S. national security and defense needs, â€Â Arsenault said.
BAE Systems Inc. announced the transaction in the same week that its parent company — BAE Systems plc — said it wrapped up its $232.5 million cash acquisition of cyber service provider Perimeter Internetworking Corp., which does business as SilverSky.
SilverSky CEO Tim Harvey will lead BAE’s applied intelligence commercial services division that will absorb SilverSky’s sales, marketing and engineering workforce.
Ian King, CEO of BAE Systems plc, said the expanded division will deliver products and services intended to help clients protect critical information and networks from threats.
“SilverSky’s cloud-based email and network security solutions complement our existing portfolio and increase our presence in the United States, a very significant market for IT security, ” King said.
More than 400 employees work for New York City-headquartered SilverSky, which says it has more than 5, 000 customers.
