Antenna Research Associates and Empower RF Systems Announce Merger to Build an Integrated RF Platform for Contested-Spectrum Missions

LAUREL, Md. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Antenna Research Associates (“ARA”), an OceanSound Partners portfolio company and an experienced provider of integrated radio frequency ("RF") and advanced communications solutions spanning communications, tactical RF, and radar-critical subsystems for the aerospace and defense end markets, today announced a merger with Empower RF Systems ("Empower RF"). Empower RF is an established developer and manufacturer of high-power solid-state RF and microwave amplifiers.

“Our goal is to build a category leader in RF solutions: a single partner that can take a customer from antenna to amplifier to network across defense, space, and national security missions,” said Bill Gattle, President and CEO of ARA.

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The combination brings together ARA’s antenna and aperture expertise with Empower RF’s high-power amplifier technology, and joins two engineering teams with complementary strengths. It advances the combined company’s strategy of building a broader, integrated RF and communications platform, pairing high-power amplification solutions with advanced antenna and subsystem capabilities.

The merger comes as defense customers prioritize the capabilities that matter most at the tactical edge: defeating unmanned threats, operating and communicating in contested spectrum, and fielding new systems faster and at lower cost. Demand is rising for high-power RF solutions in counter-UAS and electronic warfare, in SATCOM ground infrastructure for rapidly growing satellite constellations, and in radar and threat simulation. Empower RF’s amplifiers serve these applications today, and ARA’s antennas and apertures, engineered for size-, weight-, power- and cost-constrained platforms, extend the RF chain. Together, the companies can deliver qualified hardware at the pace and volume the customers require.

“Our goal is to build a category leader in RF solutions: a single partner that can take a customer from antenna to amplifier to network across defense, space, and national security missions,” said Bill Gattle, President and CEO of ARA. “Empower RF is a natural fit. Its amplifier technology is proven in demanding environments, and inside contested spectrum, power and aperture cannot be engineered in isolation. Together, we will put more capable RF solutions into the hands of the warfighter.”

“Our team has spent more than two decades building amplifiers for critical missions where performance cannot be compromised,” said Jon Jacocks, CEO of Empower RF. “Bringing our engineers together with ARA's gives us the scale and the antenna expertise to take our combined capabilities to more platforms and customers.”

“Empower RF's and ARA's engineers share the same mission focus, and together they will be a stronger company than either would be alone,” said Gattle. “This combination is an important step in ARA’s growth and is a key addition to the platform we are building at ARA, and we will keep adding technology that sets ARA apart and which enables it to deliver high performance communication solutions where it matters most.”

ARA and Empower RF will showcase their combined capabilities at the AUSA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington, D.C., October 12–14, Booth #[3055].

About Antenna Research Associates

Established in 1963, ARA is an experienced provider of integrated radio frequency and advanced communications solutions, including components, assemblies, and subsystems, to the aerospace and defense end markets. The company specializes in antennas and apertures engineered for size-, weight-, power- and cost-constrained environments, supporting airborne sensing and identification, tactical communications, radar, and SATCOM missions. In-house design, instrumented antenna test ranges, and production capability at ARA’s Laurel, Maryland facilities allow the company to move from requirement to qualified hardware at program speed. For more information, please visit www.ara-inc.com.

About Empower RF Systems

Established in 1999, Empower RF Systems is an established developer and manufacturer of high-power solid-state RF and microwave amplifier modules and systems for the aerospace and defense end markets. The company's modules and air- and liquid-cooled systems cover HF through X-band, delivering high power density and intelligent control to operators across SATCOM, electronic warfare, counter-UAS, threat simulation, and radar missions. In-house amplifier design, top-level assembly, and test at Empower RF’s Inglewood, California headquarters, supported by a design center in Syracuse, New York, allow the company to move from requirement to field capability at mission speed. For more information, please visit www.empowerrf.com.

About OceanSound Partners

OceanSound Partners is a private equity firm that pursues investments in technology and technology-enabled services companies serving aerospace, defense, government, and highly regulated end markets. OceanSound employs a partnership approach, working closely with founders, entrepreneurs, and executives of middle market businesses to support their strategic growth objectives. The firm has offices in New York, West Palm Beach, and Buenos Aires. For more information, please visit www.oceansoundpartners.com.