US spacecraft manufacturer Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp has snapped up government-focused cyber communications firm Wavefront Technologies.
US spacecraft manufacturer Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp has snapped up government-focused cyber communications firm Wavefront Technologies.
The acquisition represents diversification for Ball Aerospace, owned by conglomerate Ball Corporation (NYSE:BLL), which will immediately integrate the Wavefront team into its operations.
In a statement, Ball Aerospace said Wavefront had a team of more than 100 highly skilled and cleared systems, software and satcoms engineers and analysts providing systems and network engineering, software development and analytical services.
Ball Aerospace president Rob Strain (pictured) said the tie-up would lead to “tremendous synergies” for their defence, intelligence and information solutions businesses, as well as “significant opportunities to diversify and grow in existing and adjacent markets”.
Wavefront primarily offers its specialised IT support and communications services to government clients, but also provides solutions for commercial customers.
The deal enables Ball Aerospace, headquartered in Colorado, to expand its foothold in the Washington DC area – home to national security customers – as Wavefront is based Annapolis Junction in neighbouring Maryland. Ball Aerospace already has offices in nearby Lanham, also in Maryland, as well as Arlington and Chantilly in Virginia.
In addition to providing services to the defence and national security communities, Ball also serves commercial space firms and supports civil programmes.
Ball Aerospace restructured its civil space business in 2013, splitting its operations into two separate units, a civil space and technology division and an operational space division.