Ophir's LIDAR systems equip platforms such as the USAF's B-2 stealth bomber. (Photo: USAF)
Private equity house ATL Partners has announced the formation of LightRidge Solutions, a portfolio company focused on development, design and production of small, affordable, space and airborne sensors and payloads for the defence and national security sector.
LightRidge combines GEOST, leading provider of space payloads acquired by ATL in 2021 and Ophir, which develops and manufactures airborne laser radar sensors and acquired in late 2022.
LightRidge is led by CEO Bill Gattle, former president of L3Harris Technologies’ Space division.
'When we acquired GEOST in 2021, we started a process of building out an enterprise that provides time-critical knowledge to our customers through affordable, yet small, powerful and increasingly autonomous space and airborne sensors,' said Mike Kramer, chairman of LightRidge.
Gattle added: 'Together, LightRidge, GEOST and Ophir will offer the power of scale, operating synergies and access to capital for research and development and other investment needs.'
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.
DARPA’s Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) programme was set up to develop an autonomous tactical network and enable critical data flow in contested environments.
Why space is an essential part of modern military capabilities
Defence-secure mixed reality headsets can save hours, or even weeks, of travel time to fix defunct equipment or get subject experts effectively “on-site” where they are needed.
The Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) and Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare (DRAKE) counter-UAS (CUAS) systems are mounted and dismounted RF jammers.
Adarga’s Vantage information analysis tool is in service with the UK MoD and individual UK forces. It builds on the company’s Knowledge Platform which processes, organises and analyses open source material, as well as information held by the user’s military, security and intelligence services.
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