BAE Systems has received the necessary regulatory approvals to acquire Ball Aerospace, bolstering its portfolio with leading space and defense capabilities. BAE Systems and Ball Corp. will soon take the necessary steps to finalize and close the acquisition.
Ball Aerospace is becoming part of BAE Systems in the U.S., forming the new Space & Mission Systems sector under Dr. Dave Kaufman’s leadership. He was the senior vice president at Ball Corp. and president of Ball Aerospace, where he also worked as the chief operating officer and oversaw the national defense unit.
“This acquisition underpins our strategy to deliver growth and advance our technology and innovation portfolio in high priority areas identified in the U.S. National Defense Strategy and the U.S. Intelligence Strategy,” said Tom Arseneault, president and CEO of BAE Systems, Inc. “Together we will leverage our combined capabilities to develop and deliver cutting-edge space, science and defense solutions to advance our customers’ critical missions.”
Kaufman said the merger is a chance to improve Ball Aerospace’s technology and service offerings. He believes BAE Systems is a good cultural match and will provide the support needed for company to grow and deliver on a larger scale.
“As the new Space & Mission Systems sector, we’ll continue to build on our reputation as a trusted mission partner established over the last 65-plus years as Ball Aerospace,” he said.
Ball Aerospace is known for its expertise in spacecraft, mission payloads, optical systems, conformal antennas, and electronically steered arrays. It has strong ties with the intelligence community, the Defense Department and the civilian space market.