The private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management last Thursday said it has acquired the Calspan hypersonic and defense test systems business from TransDigm [TDG] and will create a new portfolio company focused on hypersonic testing.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. TransDigm acquired Calspan in 2023 (Defense Daily, March 14, 2023).
Through the acquisition of Calspan Aero Systems Engineering and Calspan Systems, Cerberus has created North Wind, which will be an independent business focused on hypersonic test capability through ground-based facility design, build and operations, test and analysis. North Wind is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“We’ve been tracking this company for a while and admire their innovation and expertise in hypersonics analysis and testing,” Michael Palmer, senior managing director on Cerberus’ Supply Chain and Strategic Opportunities platform, said in a statement. “Enabling the U.S. to meet the great need for hypersonic capabilities, North Wind is an important investment.”
North Wind’s CEO is David Meier, who has been the president and CEO of Calspan Systems Engineering. Stephanie Mumford, who has been president of Calspan Systems since 2016, will be president of the North Wind Systems business unit based in Newport News, Va. Anthony Castrogiovanni will be chief technology officer, a position he held with Calspan.
North Wind’s five business segments are Applied R&D, Test Articles and Critical System Components, Test Facility Design & Build, Test Services, and Flight Testing & Flight Systems.
North Wind’s hypersonic capabilities include flight testing, wind tunnel testing, high-speed test articles, applied research and development, and facility design and development.