Germany-based Hensoldt has signed a share purchase agreement with UK private equity firm ECI and management to acquire the UK provider of security and maritime radar solutions Kelvin Hughes, London.

Hensoldt is a globally leading supplier of premium sensors for protection, reconnaissance and surveillance purposes.

Kelvin Hughes, with approximately 200 employees, designs, produces and markets radar sensors mainly for maritime and security applications. Among their products are solid state high performance X-band pulse doppler radars as well as command and control software that allows the integration of multiple radar and camera sensors into a comprehensive display package.

The company generates revenues of more than €30 million ($34.2 million). Their products are used by over 30 navies and coast guards worldwide.

Thomas Müller, the chief executive officer of Hensoldt, said: "Kelvin Hughes is highly successful in the marine and security markets, while we have a strong position in the higher-end military and surveillance radar domain."

“Our portfolios and market access are perfectly complementary and we will see significant growth from this transaction,” he stated.

“The Kelvin Hughes portfolio will allow us to enter more price-sensitive markets and their security solutions will add value to our products and bring us one step closer towards our strategic objective to develop our sensor house into a sensor solutions provider,” he added.

Kelvin Hughes CEO Russell Gould said: "I am proud that we have become a part of Hensoldt, a leading provider of radar and IFF systems on airborne, naval and land platforms."

"Both companies have shaped the radar market for seven decades and I am looking forward to the tremendous opportunities we have together and the new solutions we can jointly offer to our customers," he added.-TradeArabia News Service