Mercury acquires Germane; gains access to Navy program that installs rugged servers aboard submarines
ANDOVER, Mass. – Executives of embedded computing specialist Mercury Systems have acquired Germane Systems in Chantilly, Va., and with this acquisition have gained access to a program that installs computer rugged servers aboard U.S. Navy submarines.
Germane Systems has been involved in the Navy Acoustics-Rapid COTS Insertion (A-RCI) program for several years. The Lockheed Martin Corp. Rotary and Mission Systems segment in Manassas, Va., is the incumbent A-RCI prime contractor, and Germane is a longtime supplier to Lockheed Martin for rugged computer servers.
Mercury acquired Germane Systems for $45 million in cash, Mercury officials announced this week in their fourth-quarter financial statement.
Germane specializes in rugged computer servers, rugged computers, and rugged data storage for command, control, and information applications. Germane's computer hardware is designed for harsh environments in U.S. and international defense programs, as well as in industrial applications.
Germane offers patented GEMSS module stabilization technology to enable memory and I/O printed circuit cards from momentary disconnects when subjected to shock and vibration.
Shocks as small as 10 Gs can cause a momentary disconnect between the contacts on a memory DIMM or PCI Express module and the connector socket, Germane officials explain. A loss of contact for less than 1 millisecond is sufficient to cause most computing systems to reboot or lockup. Germane’s GEMSS technology can eliminate 100 percent of memory-related system crashes during shock events.
Germane's ruggedized computer servers exceed U.S. military standards 810G, 901D, and 461F. They come in a wide range of computing power in air-cooled chassis heights with standard depths from 13 to 18 inches.
All Germane rugged servers and data storage systems are subject to barge testing -- an intense shock-and-vibration evaluation in which the electronics go on a floating barge next to large explosions to simulate torpedo hits and other threats at sea. This test ensures that the computers and storage systems can survive and operate through such destructive events.
Mercury's acquisition of Germane Systems solidifies Mercury's expertise in U.S. naval programs for surface warships and submarines. last December Mercury acquired Themis Computer in Fremont, Calif., a company with a long legacy in naval shipboard computing.
Mercury has been in serious acquisition mode for the past several years. Before the Germane and Themis acquisitions, Mercury boosted its expertise in RF and microwave technologies for military and space applications with their acquisition in April 2017 of Delta Microwave Inc. in Oxnard, Calif., for $40.5 million in cash.
In November 2016 Mercury announced plans to acquire mission computing and small-form-factor embedded computing specialist CES Creative Electronic Systems S.A. in Grand-Lancy, Switzerland, for $39 million in cash.
In April 2016 Mercury acquired additional expertise in anti-tamper and trusted computing technologies by purchasing the Microsemi Corp. embedded security, RF and Microwave, and custom microelectronics businesses for $300 million.
Related: Rugged embedded computing processing blades and rackmount server introduced by Mercury
In December 2015 Mercury heightened its profile in secure computing and military and commercial engineering design services with their acquisition of Lewis Innovative Technologies Inc. (LIT) in Decatur, Ala.
"The combination of Germane with the previously acquired Themis Computer will enhance Mercury’s market penetration in the C4I market and provide additional capabilities for our customers," says Mark Aslett, Mercury’s president and CEO. "Germane is a strong, progressive business with an outstanding team, and we’re pleased to welcome them to the Mercury family."
Mercury specializes in high-performance embedded computing, electronic warfare (EW), and other military RF and microwave technologies. The company has expertise in military airborne, maritime, and land-based electronics applications.
For more information contact Mercury Systems online at www.mrcy.com, or Germane Systems at www.germane.com.
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John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
