Kord Technologies Inc., an integrated defense and aerospace firm in Huntsville, has been acquired by Centauri, a high-end engineering, intelligence, cybersecurity and advanced technology solutions company. The acquisition will strengthen Centauri’s defense technology capabilities and allow the company to provide a broader range of solutions to customers.
“We’re extremely excited to welcome Kord to the Centauri team,” said Dave Dzaran, CEO of Centauri. “Kord shares our commitment to developing industry-leading technology, hiring highly qualified people with deep domain expertise and a strong focus on the customer mission. Through this acquisition, we are better positioned to keep the nation safe from current and emerging threats through innovative solutions across the space, missile defense, cybersecurity and intelligence domains.”
Founded in 2008 by Allen and Tom Young, Kord was one of the fastest-growing government contractors in the country. The company has an extensive portfolio of cyber, aerospace, defense technology, aviation operations and training and logistics capabilities to include expertise in directed energy and computational fluid dynamics. By cultivating a diverse workforce adept at leveraging technologies to produce results, Kord has been recognized by government customers for its quality of work. As part of the transaction, Tom Young, president of Kord, will join Centauri’s leadership team.
“Joining forces with Centauri is a win for our customers and employees,” Young said. “The unique breadth and depth of our two companies will unlock new opportunities, and because Kord’s capabilities and specializations complement the work being done by Centauri, our combined teams will be able to provide even greater value to a wider list of space, intelligence and defense agencies.”
Kord’s directed high energy laser weapon systems are designed to counter or defeat a variety of tactical threats on the battlefield. In August, the U.S. Army selected Kord to lead its Maneuver Short Range Air Defense Directed Energy initiative (M-SHORAD), a $484 million contract. Under the contract, Kord will integrate 50-kilowatt-class laser weapon systems on Stryker combat vehicles to address the Army’s need for short range air defense capabilities. The new weapon systems address small unmanned aerial systems and rocket, artillery and mortar threats while reducing the cost per shot relative to conventional kinetic weapons. As the lead systems integrator, Kord will build prototypes and conduct a competitive, performance-based assessment and weapon system selection and will then develop and deliver a platoon of four M-SHORAD Stryker platforms by the end of fiscal year 2022.
Kord has invested heavily in research and development of advanced materials, propulsion system design, analysis and hypersonic and rotary-wing computational fluid dynamics. Combining these cutting-edge capabilities with Centauri’s domain expertise in intelligence, space situational awareness, and advanced sensors will improve the depth and breadth of support that Centauri provides its customers.
