Mergers and acquisitions

DRS Technologies Inc. has closed its $1.97 billion deal for Engineered Support Systems Inc. of St. Louis.The deal expands Parsippany, N.J.-based DRS' capabilities as a supplier in armed forces modernization, personnel mobility and operations and maintenance support.ESSI was merged with another part of DRS to form a third operating unit, the Sustainment Systems and Services Group.Tyler Technologies Inc. of Dallas has completed its acquisition for $14.2 million of two software companies that will help it expand into new service areas.In fiscal 2005, Tyler acquired Park Ridge, Ill.-based MazikUSA, a developer of integrated student information systems for K-12, and also Woburn, Mass.-based TACS, a maker of pension administration software systems.Manatron Inc. of Kalamazoo, Mich., has acquired ASIX Inc., a developer and integrator of property tax software. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.ASIX of Bellevue, Wash., created Ascend, a client-server based assessment administration and property tax billing and collection system. It's installed in 16 counties in more than a half dozen states.CACI International Inc.'s purchase of communications and logistics solutions provider Information Systems Support Inc. failed to close last month as scheduled.The acquisition has been delayed indefinitely because Gaithersburg, Md.-based ISS lost a significant contract recompete that will require a revised valuation of the company, of Arlington, Va.-based CACI said.L-3 Communications Inc. has acquired Advanced System Architectures Ltd. of Alton, England, and TCS Design and Management Services of Warner Robbins, Ga., for its Integrated Systems Group. Terms of neither deal were disclosed.ASA is a niche systems engineering and software developer of multisensor fusion and tracking systems for missiles and military aircraft.TCS focuses on IT and aircraft and avionics systems engineering services for the Army and Air Force.SiloSmashers, Fairfax, Va., has acquired program and project management services provider Martis Group of Dallas. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Martis Group has clients in the federal government, as well as the oil and gas, transportation, insurance and investment banking industries.Lockheed Martin Corp. has completed its acquisition of information management company Aspen Systems Corp, Rockville, Md. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Aspen Systems is an employee-owned company offering business process and technology solutions, primarily to the federal government's civil agencies. Lockheed Martin Information Technology of Seabrook, Md., will manage the Aspen Systems business.Raytheon Co. has acquired Arlington, Va.-based Houston Associates Inc., a privately owned company that develops mission-critical networks and network-centric command and control infrastructure applications, and provides enterprise management services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.The deal will expand Raytheon's ability to meet Defense Systems Information Agency program requirements.HAI will become part of Raytheon's Network Centric Systems business.DataPath Inc. of Duluth, Ga., has acquired Third Rail Americas Inc., a wireless broadband network provider. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Third Rail is a U.S. unit of Xceed Biotechnology Ltd. of Clayton, Victoria, Australia.The acquisition lets DataPath add to its military communications expertise to deliver better solutions to civilian government customers.