Exelis

Exelis
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Exelis
Type	Public
Industry	Aerospace, Defense, Information Technology
Fate	Acquired
Founded	2011
Defunct	2015
Headquarters	Reston, Virginia, United States
Area served	Global
Products	Aircraft sensors, radar, electronic warfare, intelligence systems, communications
Num employees	~19,000 (2011)

Exelis

Exelis was a multinational aerospace, defense, and information technology company formed as a spin-off focused on aviation systems, intelligence products, and electronic systems. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, it combined heritage businesses from legacy corporations and competed for contracts with major primes and agencies across the United States and allied nations. The firm operated businesses supplying sensors, communications, and mission systems used in platforms ranging from fixed-wing aircraft to naval vessels and ground vehicles, engaging with government agencies, research institutions, and international partners.

History

Exelis emerged in October 2011 following the divestiture of businesses from a major conglomerate, inheriting lines of business with histories tied to Hughes Aircraft Company, ITT Corporation, and other legacy firms. Its senior leadership included executives with prior roles at Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, and General Dynamics. During its early years the company pursued organic growth and targeted Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-related programs, collaboration with NASA, and cooperative projects with United States Department of Defense components such as United States Air Force, United States Navy, and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Exelis maintained research relationships with university laboratories including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Its timeline featured procurement awards, facility consolidations, and international sales efforts in markets like United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

Products and Technologies

Product lines drew upon longstanding platforms in avionics, sensors, and electronic warfare. The company produced radar systems comparable in application to those used on platforms from Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky Aircraft, electro-optical/infrared payloads compatible with unmanned platforms developed by General Atomics, and signals intelligence suites that interfaced with systems used by National Reconnaissance Office customers. Exelis manufactured airborne weather radar, active electronically scanned array components similar to those in programs by Thales Group and BAE Systems, and secure communications equipment interoperable with standards used by North Atlantic Treaty Organization members. Their materials and composites groups supplied structural components drawing on processes related to work by DuPont and Hexcel Corporation, while software groups developed mission planning and data exploitation tools integrating techniques from Carnegie Mellon University and SRI International research.

Organizational Structure and Operations

Operations were organized into business units aligned with markets: sensing and intelligence, electronic systems, mission analytics, and mission systems. Regional offices and manufacturing centers were located near defense hubs such as Huntsville, Alabama, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The corporate governance structure included a board with members from financial institutions like Goldman Sachs and industry leaders who had previously served at United Technologies Corporation and Honeywell International. Exelis deployed supply chain partnerships with subcontractors including L3Harris Technologies suppliers and component vendors linked to Spark Thermodynamics-style firms. The company maintained compliance and security protocols to meet standards from agencies including Defense Logistics Agency and Federal Aviation Administration, and participated in industry consortia alongside Association of the United States Army and Aerospace Industries Association.

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Changes

After four years as an independent public company, Exelis became the subject of acquisition activity culminating in a purchase by Harris Corporation in 2015. The transaction followed prior corporate maneuvers in the defense sector involving firms like United Technologies Corporation and ITT Corporation that reshaped portfolios across the industry. Post-acquisition realignments saw business units integrated into Harris divisions, with some technologies and personnel transitioning to entities that later merged with L3 Technologies to form L3Harris Technologies. The consolidation reflected broader sector trends including mergers such as Raytheon with United Technologies Corporation-spun divisions and the absorption of specialized contractors by larger primes like BAE Systems.

Customers and Contracts

Major customers included federal agencies and armed services: United States Department of Defense components, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and foreign defense ministries in allied nations. Contract awards encompassed multi-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity agreements and prime subcontracts supporting platforms manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Exelis performed work on classified programs coordinated with National Security Agency and Office of the Director of National Intelligence elements, provided sustainment and upgrade packages for systems fielded by United States Army units, and delivered mission systems for maritime platforms used by Royal Australian Navy and other partners.

Controversies and Legal Issues

During its independent existence, Exelis faced routine procurement audits and bid-protest activity similar to disputes seen at firms such as General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman. There were matters involving contract performance assessments, export compliance inquiries related to international sales comparable to investigations at Thales Group, and employee workforce adjustments following program changes akin to workforce shifts at Raytheon Technologies. Post-acquisition integration prompted reviews of acquisition accounting and regulatory filings with agencies including Securities and Exchange Commission, mirroring scrutiny experienced by other defense consolidations such as the Hughes Aircraft-era transitions. No single, widely litigated scandal dominated the corporate record before its acquisition.

Category:Aerospace companies of the United States Category:Defense companies of the United States