Lockheed Martin leading race for $3.5 billion buy of Ultra Maritime
Lockheed Martin Corp. on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, USA, on Monday, March 9, 2026. sign.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Defense heavyweight Lockheed Martin is leading the race to acquire naval defense group Ultra Maritime, CNBC has learned.
The deal to buy Ultra is valued at about $3.5 billion, and Guggenheim and JPMorgan are advising on the sell-side, according to sources close to CNBC.
Ultra is owned by private equity firm Advent International and specializes in anti-submarine technology. The company produces radar and electronic warfare systems, as well as torpedo defense countermeasures.
A. Financial Times report last week He said talks are still ongoing and a deal could be announced as early as this week.
It has been reported that Advent is on sale By early 2026, at a price of over £3bn, i.e. more than $4bn.
Lockheed Martin is one of the world’s largest defense companies, producing aircraft such as the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet and ammunition such as the Patriot air defense missile.
Defense stocks had a bumper year in 2026 as conflicts from Ukraine to Iran increased demand for ammunition around the world.
in April, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute He said that global defense expenditures in 2025 will reach 2.89 trillion dollars, led by the large expenditures of European countries.
