Strat Aero has agreed to acquire Fort Worth, Texas-based unmanned aircraft system manufacturer Aero Kinetics for about $24 million and potential incentive payments.
London-based Strat Aero provides aeronautical services to civilian, law enforcement and military customers and made the acquisition to expand its UAS operational and flight training offerings,  CEO Tony Dunleavy said in a statement released Wednesday.
W. Hulsey Smith will continue to lead Aero Kinetics as chairman and CEO as well as assume the president role at Strat Aero’s mission systems business upon the deal’s closure.
The deal covers the UAS and aviation engineering and certification businesses of Aero Kinetics.
Aero Kinetics has applied to the Federal Aviation Administration for certification of the company’s multirotor drone platform and plans to rebrand its special missions, aircraft maintenance and aviation consulting units during the first quarter of 2016.
