Communications & Power Industries LLC (CPI) on Monday said it has agreed to acquire a business unit of General Dynamics

[GD] that develops and produces a full spectrum of satellite ground communications products and related services used in commercial, defense and scientific applications.

Terms of the deal, which is expected to close this year, were not disclosed. The SATCOM Technologies business unit has about 1,000 employees.

SATCOM Technologies products and solutions include medium-fixed and mobile antennas, very small aperture terminals (VSAT), radio and optical telescopes, electronic products for satellite communications operators, transit cases, precision large steel structure fabrication, and technical services and training.

SATCOM Technologies is part of GD’s Mission Systems business. A spokesman for GD Mission Systems told Defense Daily the pending divestiture will help the segment “better align its business efforts in core areas supporting U.S. Department of Defense and government agency customers.”

CPI, which is based in California, said the acquisition will complement its existing communications products for government, military and commercial applications.

“Satellite communications technology plays a vital role in modern communications, serving the seemingly insatiable thirst for more bandwidth and greater speeds,” Bob Fickett, president and CEO of CPI, said in a statement. “Acquiring SATCOM Technologies enables us to provide CPI’s customers with a wide range of complementary products, capabilities and resources to support this dynamic and growing market, making it an excellent fit for CPI. These capabilities and resources include extensive expertise in VSAT, large and medium communications antennas, and vary large, complex antenna systems.”

SATCOM Technologies has 12 locations, most of them in the U.S.