Thales’ US-based subsidiary Thales Defense & Security Inc (TDSI) has acquired the full ownership of Advanced Acoustic Concepts (AAC) for an undisclosed amount.

According to Leonardo, the finalisation of this acquisition was based on obtaining all the required regulatory approvals.

The latest transaction will allow TSDI to increase its industrial and engineering footprint in the US defence market, reinforcing US-based teams and capabilities.

Thales Defense & Security CEO Mike Sheehan said: “AAC’s skills and experience in surface ship, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), airborne ASW and mine countermeasures will strengthen our support of the US Department of Defense (DoD).

“Further, since its formation, the company has achieved solid performance while supporting the needs of the US Navy.

“We expect AAC to continue this success under TDSI ownership.”

​AAC is a joint venture (JV) of TDSI and Leonardo US subsidiary Leonardo DRS.

The US industry contractor AAC has delivered various systems and solutions for the undersea warfare domain of the US Navy.

The JV is also a key player in the sector of advanced sonar, training and knowledge management systems.

According to Thales, AAC uses an open business and open systems technology insertion model for providing modernisation systems to the US Navy.

In 2021, AAC generated the sales of approximately $80m, with more than 200 employees.

TDSI operates in compliance with a proxy agreement, approved by the US DoD to address concerns related with foreign ownership, control or influence. 

It is a provider for mission-critical systems and solutions for a wide variety of domains including ground tactical, airborne/avionics, naval/maritime and security in the US.