ST Engineering's U.S. arm buys satellite tech outfit

The U.S. subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Engineering has acquired Glowlink Communications Technology, a maker of technology to manage satellite networks and fend off signal interference.

Herndon, Virginia-based iDirect Government LLC paid $20 million to purchase Glowlink and the transaction also includes a $5 million payment based on meeting employee retention goals, ST Engineering said Tuesday.

ST Engineering added that iDirectGov undertook the transaction through a special purpose vehicle and Glowlink, the latter of which is the surviving entity.

Glowlink designs its products to detect and remove interference amid industry-wide expectations of more satellites to be launched in the coming years and growing demand for connectivity on Earth. The company has a patented algorithm that works to help isolate and remove interference.

Mountain View, California-based Glowlink anticipates subsequent demand for anti-jam offerings that can span carrier and spectrum monitoring, geolocation, capacity planning and interference detection in conjunction with the skies being more heavily crowded with satellites.

Incorporated in 2008, iDirectGov began operating under a proxy agreement with the U.S. government two years later due to its status as a foreign-owned, foreign-controlled business.

The subsidiary builds communications technology for voice, video and data transmissions of U.S. military and other civilian agencies.