Thales buys Tampa firm to raise satellite comm sales

Thales has signed an agreement to acquire Tampa Microwave, a privately held company specializing in tactical satellite communications terminals and related products for government and commercial customers.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not reported.

Tampa Microwave’s core capabilities include the design, development and manufacture of satellite communications (SATCOM) terminals as well as custom engineering and customer support, according to the Thales Dec. 7 news release.

The company’s strategic focus areas complement Thales’s existing product portfolio and will expand its capabilities in the wideband SATCOM domain.

The combination of technology, infrastructure, financial resources and facilities will allow Thales to offer its customers wideband, beyond line of sight communications technology in environments where lower size, weight, and power are critical in helping warfighters complete their missions more safely and effectively, the announcement said.

Tampa Microwave will operate as a subsidiary of Thales Communications Inc., of Clarksburg, Md., a U.S. subsidiary of Thales Group that serves the U.S. Defense and Homeland Security departments, civilian agencies and allied and coalition forces globally.

The business, however, will remain in Tampa, Fla., and the current Tampa Microwave management team will remain unchanged.

The acquisition is conditional upon receiving certain regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2012.