Armtec Defense Products Acquires Expendable Countermeasures Product Line

Thursday, August 29, 2002 by Esterline Defense Technologies

Armtec Defense Products parent corporation Esterline Technologies has finalized the acquisition of the Electronic Warfare Passive Expendables Division of BAE SYSTEMS North America. The $67.5 million asset purchase was originally announced July 15. Closing of the sale today followed completion of legal and government reviews and approvals. These operations will be incorporated into Armtec Defense Products.

The acquisition consists of two businesses; Radar countermeasure chaff operations located in Lillington, North Carolina and Infrared Decoy Flare operations located in East Camden, Arkansas. At the Lillington facility, approximately 65 employees produce radar countermeasure chaff used by aircraft to help protect against radar-guided missiles. At East Camden, about 235 employees produce a variety of aircraft-dispensable flares designed to protect against infrared-guided missiles.

Robert W. Cremin, Esterline CEO, said, '...these operations are a perfect fit with our long-standing and growing position in aerospace/defense advanced materials.' Cremin said, '...the plants will operate as divisions of our Southern California-based Armtec Defense Products subsidiary, the world's leading manufacturer, and the U.S. Army's sole source provider, of combustible ordnance products for tank, artillery, and mortar ammunition.'