General Dynamics makes play for mobile computing company

Defense contractor General Dynamics Corp. acquired Tadpole Computer Inc. for an undisclosed amount, the company said today.

Based in Cupertino, Calif., Tadpole Computer is a privately held company that provides mobile, secure and battlefield-tested computing platforms for military, government and commercial operations. Its primary military applications involve secure technologies on mobile platforms that deliver information to and from the battlefield.

Tadpole Computer also provides notebook computers and servers to support joint command and control operations for distributed battlefield management, collaborative briefings, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.

General Dynamics did not disclose Tadpole's revenue, but the company has about 60 employees and will become part of General Dynamics C4 Systems. The unit specializes in command and control, communications networking, space systems, computing and information assurance.

Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., General Dynamics has about 70,800 employees and had 2004 revenue of $19.2 billion. It is No. 5 on Washington Technology's 2005 Top 100 list of prime government contractors.