Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) from Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron 3 (USVRON 3) operate remotely in San Diego Bay ahead of the unit's establishment ceremony. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Claire M. DuBois)
WASHINGTON — Defense technology company AEVEX is acquiring naval technology firm BlackSea Technologies for up to $650 million, in an attempt to bolster its presence in the unmanned surface and undersea vessel space, according to an announcement Wednesday.
The companies said the acquisition, slated to close in September, is also meant to expand “customer access” to the Navy, US Special Operations Command, and other allied partners. It will integrate “complementary technology across air, surface, and undersea platforms.”
“BlackSea brings exceptional and strategically aligned maritime capability, but just as importantly, it brings a culture of mission focus and ingenuity that reflect the very roots of AEVEX,” Brian Raduenz, founder and executive chairman of AEVEX, said in a statement.
BlackSea builds the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC), a 16-foot small unmanned autonomous vessel that the Navy is experimenting with out of Naval Base Coronado. The Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron 3, which the service launched in 2024, operates the system.
