In yet another strategic move, Lockheed Martin, through a partnership with Advent International, is acquiring a 50% stake of Ultra Marine Technologies for $2.3 billion. With their headquarters located in France and the USA, Ultra Marine offers surveillance and communications services for ships and submarines on a worldwide scale.
The collaboration between the two companies will not only expand the business area of mission systems within the rotary division of Lockheed Martin but will also bring in the technological knowhow of Ultra Maritime for underwater missions and sonar systems. These systems can detect, track and count threats underwater which is becoming an important factor in warfare these days.
There was a time when the only concern about the seas was their vast and unknown, but that is no longer the case. The oceans are getting deeper into their own right and more and more nations have been investing heavily in the development of their maritime capabilities. For the US, a nation with such vast oceans nearby, the importance of the maritime capability cannot be over emphasised.
The acquisition That means, is a major step forward to make sure that the Navy is not left behind at underwater warfare. The technology Ultra brings in has already been approved by the allied nations for their naval fleets. It is So a safe bet on the part of the US to be involved in a partnership with them.
An agreement was reached, at a board meeting held by Hill, representing the president of Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems.
Hill spoke of a new dawn for US and other nations’ navies as the collaboration would bring forward the best cutting-edge technologies for underwater and anti-submarine warfare and, at the same time, the development of these would come much quicker because of collaboration. Naval personnel involved in testing and using this equipment Still would likely see the changes in development cycles to be slower than what they hoped for. In fact, in their daily work, they might not even come across those changes much.
One reason this deal was not just about acquiring a technology, it also reflects In reality the demand and capabilities of the defense industry are rapidly changing. To remain relevant in the market, many defense firms have gone on a journey to develop capabilities from product development to implementation, in a more integrated manner. So the decision for Lockeed Martin not only to go through a partnership but also, as part of the deal, the integration of employees into their existing Rotary and Mission Systems business is an attempt to get as much technical expertise and specialized knowledge from this acquisition as possible.