Harris geared up to expand its air traffic control business in international markets. The company inked a definitive agreement to buy the Air Traffic Control (ATC) unit of Canada’s SolaCom Technologies. Harris targets to complete the purchase by end of June, subject to closing conditions.
Earlier this year, Harris told Reuters that it was actively looking for takeover candidates.
In April, the company said that it agreed to buy Tyco Electronics’ wireless systems business for $675m.
The ATC unit, to be acquired, provides voice and data communication services for around 200 customers on six continents. Harris said that the deal will also help the company to support the Federal Aviation Administration’s air transportation system.
John O’Sullivan, vice president of Mission Critical Networks of Harris Corporation, said: This acquisition will provide our collective domestic and international customers with highly reliable air traffic control products and services that will lead to a more reliable global network of air traffic control systems. We have partnered with Solacom’s ATC business for more than a decade and could not be more pleased to welcome their employees to the Harris family, and we envision a strong cultural fit of two engineering organisations with complementary products and engineering capabilities.
Franz Plangger, CEO of SolaCom, said: We’ve had a close relationship with Harris Corporation for more than a decade and we see the new combined entity having a leadership position in the International Air Traffic Control market area. Combining our mission-critical voice switching communications products with the Harris reputation as a world-class ATC systems provider creates an organisation well poised to support next generation transformation goals of our global customer base.”
Harris is the prime contractor for the $3.5 billion, 15-year FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) programme which was awarded to Harris in 2002. Harris also provides the FAA’s Voice Switching Control System which allows air traffic controllers to establish air-to-ground and ground-to-ground communications with pilots as well as with other controllers.
