L-3 Communications acquires Aerosim
L-3 Communications has acquired Aerosim, including Aerosim Technologies, Inc. located in Burnsville, Minnesota and Aerosim Flight Academy, Inc. located in Sanford, Florida.
Courtesy Aerosim
The acquisition was completed on 30 September, 2016 and terms were not disclosed. Following the acquisition, Aerosim will be integrated into the L-3 Commercial Training Solutions (L-3 CTS) division of the company’s Electronic Systems business segment and will be renamed L-3 Aerosim-CTC. Aerosim is projected to generate approximately $50 million in sales for the year ending 31 December, 2017 and to be accretive to L-3’s earnings.
Aerosim has commercial training with capabilities that are complementary to those offered by L-3 CTS. Aerosim Technologies provides innovative portable and flexible pilot and maintenance technician training products, enhancing efficiency with lower-cost solutions. Aerosim Academy, a flight school for prospective airline pilots, trains both US and international cadets.
“The addition of Aerosim is a good fit with L-3’s expanding business of providing customized solutions that address the global shortage of pilot training resources and the increasing demand for qualified pilots,” said Michael T. Strianese, L-3’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Aerosim adds value to our portfolio and further exemplifies our disciplined growth strategy in key markets.”
The integration of Aerosim into L-3 CTS further enhances L-3’s potential to develop innovative training, resourcing and simulation solutions. It enables L-3 CTS to provide even stronger airline pilot training capability – augmenting existing flight training operations in Phoenix, Arizona, the United Kingdom, Thailand and New Zealand. The acquisition also provides additional training product capabilities, which aligns with and complements the existing suite of RealitySeven Full Flight Simulators and Flat Panel Trainers.
“With its focus on the customer, quality and safety, Aerosim is a strong cultural fit with L-3 CTS and expands our capabilities to provide totally scalable training solutions,” said Alan Crawford, President of L-3 Commercial Training Solutions. “This acquisition demonstrates our commitment to being a leading global flight training organization with an even more comprehensive suite of the highest-fidelity, cost-effective flight training devices.”
Dave Rapley, CEO of Aerosim, added: “By joining L-3 CTS, we will reshape the future of commercial pilot and maintenance training through a shared vision and complementary capability. This collaboration presents a significant opportunity to align our advanced technologies and training excellence to offer our customers a truly integrated and end-to-end solution in the commercial aviation arena.”
L-3 CTS includes L-3 Link UK, L-3 CTC Aviation and now L-3 Aerosim-CTC. It is a world leader in providing intelligent total training solutions for pilots and maintainers across a wide range of commercial platforms. L-3 CTS provides a full spectrum of state-of-the-art training solutions, including ab initio training, airline training, training centers and high-fidelity simulation products.