AeroVironment Acquires Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) for $200 Million
March 20, 2026
AeroVironment (AV) announced it has acquired Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. (ESAero) in a transaction valued at approximately $200 million, including about $160 million in stock and the remainder in cash. The deal is expected to be accretive to adjusted EBITDA in the first year post-close and positions ESAero’s AS9100-certified California facilities as a center of excellence for advanced prototyping and manufacturing.
- Buyers
- AeroVironment, Inc.
- Targets
- Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. (ESAero)
- Industry
- Aerospace & Defense
- Location
- California, United States
- Transaction Type
- Buyout
Explore More
Related Acquisitions
-
AeroVironment Acquires Planck Aerosystems
August 17, 2022
Aerospace & Defense
AeroVironment, Inc. has acquired Planck Aerosystems, a San Diego-based developer of advanced unmanned aircraft navigation and autonomy solutions. The acquisition will accelerate AeroVironment's autonomy capabilities by integrating Planck's embedded Autonomous Control Engine (ACE) and other technologies into its medium unmanned aircraft systems (MUAS) business, expanding capability for operations from moving platforms and in GPS-denied environments.
-
AeroVironment Acquires BlueHalo in $4.1B All-Stock Deal
April 1, 2025
Aerospace & Defense
AeroVironment (AV) agreed to acquire BlueHalo in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $4.1 billion to create a diversified all-domain defense technology company. The deal was finalized in May 2025 after AV stockholder approval and satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
-
JANUS Research Group Acquires Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) from Verisk
December 17, 2024
Aerospace & Defense
JANUS Research Group, a portfolio company of CM Equity Partners, has acquired Verisk's Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) business. The transaction (advised by D.A. Davidson for Verisk) brings AER's remote-sensing, climate, oceanography and space-weather capabilities into JANUS to broaden mission-focused science, analytics and AI/ML offerings for federal, defense and commercial customers.
-
Thompson Capital Partners Acquires Evaero, Inc.
April 4, 2024
Aerospace & Defense
Thompson Capital Partners (TCP) has acquired Evaero, Inc., a Tucson-based supplier of mission-critical aerospace and defense components. Evaero's president and second-generation owner, Christian Frueh, will remain in his role as the business is positioned as an add-on to TCP's portfolio company AID Aerospace to expand end-to-end manufacturing and finishing capabilities for aerospace customers.
-
AeroVironment to Acquire Tomahawk Robotics for $120 Million
August 22, 2023
AI & Machine Learning
AeroVironment announced its anticipated acquisition of Tomahawk Robotics, acquiring 100% of Tomahawk Robotics’ equity for a total purchase price of $120 million paid in a mix of cash and stock. The deal is intended to deepen integration between AeroVironment’s unmanned systems and Tomahawk Robotics’ AI-enabled robotic control technology to improve interoperability across connected unmanned systems.
-
Aero Accessories Acquires Aero Instruments & Avionics
November 4, 2024
Aerospace & Defense
Aero Accessories & Repair, LLC, a portfolio company of ATL Partners, has acquired Buffalo, New York-based Aero Instruments & Avionics. The add-on strengthens Aero Accessories' MRO capabilities across avionics, electro-mechanical and other complex aircraft components and expands its presence in the commercial, cargo and defense aftermarket; terms were not disclosed.
Track M&A activity that matters to you
Get real-time deal alerts, build buyer lists with AI, and access our full acquisition database. Start your free trial today.