Codan acquires satellite company

Codan has expanded its satellite communications business with the purchase of Pennysylvania-based Locus Microwave for AU$4.3 million.

Locus is a specialist microwave technology company based in State College Pennsylvania, primarily focused on the design, manufacture and supply of micrwave radio products for satellite communications.

Codan's managing director, Mike Heard, said the acquisition will broaden the global reach for the group's existing international satellite communications business and, in particular, will add new products for the company's worldwide user base.

Growth in the Locus business will come primarily from the deployment of numerous government X-band satellite communications networks including the wideband global satellite communications (WGS) satellites.

These will be used by government users in both the US and Australia with the second of the six satellite systems launched recently.