Firefly Aerospace ( FLY ) announced Sunday that it will acquire SciTec, Inc. in a deal valued at about $855 million, combining $300 million in cash and $555 million in newly issued Firefly shares priced at $50 each. The news sent Firefly shares sharply higher in premarket trading on Monday as investors welcomed the company's expansion into advanced defense technologies.

The transaction aims to fuse Firefly's launch, lunar, and on-orbit services with SciTec's mission software, rapid data processing, and low-latency AI systems that support missile warning, tracking, and multi-domain operations.

SciTec is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, with five additional facilities positioned near major space and defense customers. Firefly says the combination strengthens delivery of integrated, software-defined offerings for critical defense programs, including Golden Dome, while broadening its role across U.S. intelligence and military customers.

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"The acquisition of SciTec enhances our ability to support a growing number of defense missions and provides us with a significant operational advantage," said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace ( FLY ).

He added that SciTec's "mission-proven software and big data processing capabilities provide warfighters with rapid, accurate information," and bolster Firefly's national security portfolio.

SciTec brings tools for missile warning and defense, ISR, space domain awareness, and autonomous command-and-control, alongside ground and onboard processing built for threat-responsive operations.

Those capabilities are intended to complement Firefly's rapid-response launch, lunar lander, and orbital vehicles, creating a vertically integrated suite that spans sensors to space platforms.

For the 12 months ended June 30, 2025, SciTec generated approximately $164 million in revenue, primarily driven by work for intelligence, defense, and commercial clients.

Earlier this year, the company won a $259 million U.S. Space Force award to expand the FORGE ground processing framework, delivering scalable, cyber-secure systems to accelerate missile-warning and tracking solutions for warfighters.

After closing, targeted for completion by the end of 2025, pending regulatory approvals, SciTec will operate as a Firefly subsidiary, led by its current CEO, Jim Lisowski, who will report to Kim.

Firefly Aerospace ( FLY ) held cash and cash equivalents of $221.43 million as of June 30, 2025.

Price Action: FLY shares were trading 18.71% higher at $32.49 premarket at last check Monday.

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