Huntington acquires Columbia Group's engineering division
Huntington Ingalls has acquired the Columbia Group's Engineering Solutions Division (ESD) for an as-of-yet undisclosed amount, the company announced on 30 January.
ESD develops specialised unmanned and manned undersea vehicles for the US Navy and other military customers worldwide. It has converted or built specialised crafts for submarine and submersibles support, mine warfare systems testing, special warfare, torpedo countermeasures and other purposes.
Matt Mulherin, corporate vice president, Huntington Ingalls, and president of Newport News Shipbuilding, said: 'ESD's experience in designing and developing manned and unmanned submersibles is a natural extension of the submarine work we do at Newport News Shipbuilding.'
He added: 'We believe the combination of Newport News and ESD expertise will enable us to compete successfully in the unmanned underwater vehicle market.'
ESD will operate under the Huntington Ingalls subsidiary Undersea Solutions Group. It will report to the submarine and fleet support division of Newport News Shipbuilding.
Ross Lindman, senior vice president, ESD, said: 'Together, we can support the development of large and very large unmanned undersea vehicles and stay in step with the navy as unmanned systems take on greater and more complex roles in the undersea battle space.'
ESDis located in Panama City Beach, Florida, and employs around 30 craftsmen, analysts, engineers and technicians.
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