L3 picks up underwater drone maker OceanServer
By
Ross Wilkers
L3 Technologies buys OceanServer and becomes the latest large defense contractor to buy an underwater drone maker in past year.
L3 Technologies has purchased underwater drone maker OceanServer Technology for an undisclosed amount to become the third major defense contractor that has acquired a company in that market within the past year.
Within the past year, General Dynamics has bought military and UUV manufacturer Bluefin Robotics and Boeing picked up Liquid Robotics, the latter of which makes the water surface-traveling Wave Glider robot.
L3 views its acquisition of OceanServer as a platform for growth in line with the Navy’s plans for tactical deployment of underwater drones. General Dynamics also identified opportunities with the Navy through its purchase of Bluefin Robotics.
Fall River, Mass.-based OceanServer was founded in 2003 and builds autonomous unmanned undersea vehicles for users in the military, scientific, marine and telecommunications communities. OceanServer built its family of Iver UUVs for security, survey, research and environmental monitoring work.
Bluefin is also headquartered in the state of Massachusetts with its base in Quincy. Liquid Robotics is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.
OceanServer will operate within L3’s estimated $1.4 billion sensor systems segment and has been renamed L3 OceanServer.