Raytheon Acquires Blackbird Technologies For $420 Mln - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - Defense contractor Raytheon Co. (RTN) Wednesday said it has acquired Blackbird Technologies, for a purchase price of about $420 million, subject to post-closing adjustments.

Blackbird provides persistent surveillance, secure tactical communications and cybersecurity solutions to the Intelligence Community and special operations market.

The transaction will not materially impact Raytheon sales or earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2014.

Located in Herndon, Virginia, Blackbird will become part of Raytheon Company's Intelligence, Information and Services or IIS business.

Blackbird will expand Raytheon's special operations capabilities in tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, secure tactical communications and cybersecurity across a spectrum of globally dispersed platforms and communications networks.

The firm has customers in the IC, Special Operations Command or SOCOM and the intelligence organizations supporting the Department of Defense.

Blackbird also provides key synergies with Raytheon's existing cybersecurity, sensor, communications and command and control capabilities. With this transaction, Raytheon becomes one of the top industry partners to SOCOM.