BAE invests US$2.2bn on two acquisitions to strengthen U.S. electronic systems foothold

BAE Systems plc (BAE), the British multinational defense, security and aerospace company, has announced that it is to make two major purchases in the U.S. – the military Global Positioning System (GPS) business belonging to Collins Aerospace, and the Airborne Tactical Radios (ATR)  business belonging to Raytheon.

The opportunity to acquire two sector-appropriate businesses has come about through the antitrust requirements set out for the impending merger of Raytheon, and United Technologies Corporation which is the parent company of Collins Aerospace. Both acquisitions comprise asset transactions with tax benefits with BAE paying US$1.925bn in cash for Collins Aerospace’s GPS business which will have an expected tax benefit of US$365m, and US$275m in cash for Raytheon’s ATR business, which will have an anticipated tax benefit of US$50m.

“As militaries around the world increasingly operate in contested environments, the industry-leading, battle-tested products of these two businesses will complement and extend our existing portfolio of solutions we offer our customers,” said Jerry DeMuro, CEO of BAE Systems, Inc. “This unique opportunity to acquire critical radio and GPS capabilities strengthens our position as a leading provider of defense electronics and communications systems, and further supports our alignment with the modernization priorities of the U.S. military and its partners.”

According to BAE’s announcement, these proposed acquisitions are subject to the successful closure of the Raytheon-UTC transaction, as well as the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, including receipt of the required U.S. regulatory approvals. Upon closure, both business lines would be integrated into the company’s Electronic Systems sector.

“These are strong businesses with talented employees who share our focus on quality and technology innovation,” said Tom Arseneault, President and COO of BAE Systems, Inc. “We are confident of a smooth transition that will accelerate our future together and look forward to welcoming these new employees to the BAE Systems team once the transactions are approved.”