BAe buys Ball Aerospace

“We see space as an increasingly important domain of future warfare,” said BAe CEO Charles Woodburn, “this acquisition really accelerates our position.”

“This proposed acquisition will expand our footprint in space, extend the complementary set of customer relationships and national security, and offer new access to civil space markets,” said BAe’s US CEO, Tom Arseneault, pointing out that the increasing use of satellites for protection and defence is making defence technology more expensive.

As well as strengthening BAe’s position in C4ISR – command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance – Ball brings a  product portfolio which includes instruments and sensors for space travel, weather forecasting and subsystems for missiles and munitions. 

There was competition to buy Ball Aerospace which is a subsidiary of Ball Corp – the world’s largest supplier of aluminium drinks cans – the private equity funds Blackstone and Veritas were after it along with General Dynamics and Textron.

View more : IGBT modules | LCD displays | Electronic Components