---
title: "Lockheed Martin to Buy Undersea-Warfare Firm Ultra Maritime for $3.45 Billion"
description: "Lockheed Martin has agreed to acquire Ultra Maritime, a maker of sonar and anti-submarine systems, for about $3.45 billion, expanding its undersea-warfare business as Western navies race to counter growing Chinese and Russian submarine fleets."
category: "Business"
category_url: https://newsparlor.com/category/business
author: "James Whitmore"
published: 2026-07-06T19:22:00.000Z
updated: 2026-07-06T19:22:00.000Z
canonical: https://newsparlor.com/article/lockheed-martin-to-buy-undersea-warfare-firm-ultra-maritime-for-3-45-billion
tags: ["lockheed-martin", "defense", "mergers", "undersea-warfare", "business"]
---
# Lockheed Martin to Buy Undersea-Warfare Firm Ultra Maritime for $3.45 Billion

Lockheed Martin has agreed to acquire Ultra Maritime, a maker of sonar and anti-submarine systems, for about $3.45 billion, expanding its undersea-warfare business as Western navies race to counter growing Chinese and Russian submarine fleets.

Lockheed Martin, the largest US defense contractor, has signed a definitive agreement to buy Ultra Maritime for about $3.45 billion, [Naval News reported](https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/07/lockheed-martin-to-acquire-ultra-maritime-solutions/), a deal that deepens its presence in the fast-growing field of hunting and defending against submarines.

## What Ultra Maritime does

Ultra Maritime specializes in undersea and anti-submarine warfare, making sonar systems, sonobuoys, torpedo-defense equipment, radar and autonomous maritime sensors. Its products are used by the US Navy and allied fleets to detect submarines and protect surface ships, a set of capabilities that has become increasingly sought after, [Breaking Defense reported](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/07/lockheed-martin-to-purchase-ultra-maritime-in-3-5b-deal/). The company had been owned by the private-equity firm Advent International, which is exiting through the sale.

## Why now

Lockheed framed the purchase as a bet on the seabed becoming a more contested domain. "Undersea superiority belongs to those who move fastest and work together best," said Stephanie Hill, president of the company's Rotary and Mission Systems division, which will absorb Ultra Maritime. Western navies have been investing heavily in anti-submarine warfare as China expands its submarine fleet and Russia keeps its own undersea forces active, and demand for sonar and sensing gear has risen accordingly.

The deal also reflects a wider pattern of consolidation, in which the largest defense "primes" buy specialist firms to add capabilities rather than build them from scratch. For Lockheed, best known for fighter jets and missiles, undersea sensing is an area where a bolt-on acquisition brings both technology and an established customer base.

## What is not yet settled

The companies did not announce a closing date, and the transaction will be subject to the customary regulatory approvals before it is completed, [as reported by CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/06/lockheed-martin-leading-race-for-3point5-billion-buy-of-ultra-maritime-.html), which had earlier described Lockheed as the frontrunner for the business. Barring an unexpected hurdle, the purchase would fold one of the more prominent independent suppliers of anti-submarine technology into the portfolio of the world's biggest arms maker.

## Sources

- [Lockheed Martin to Acquire Ultra Maritime Solutions](https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/07/lockheed-martin-to-acquire-ultra-maritime-solutions/)
- [Lockheed Martin to purchase Ultra Maritime in $3.5B deal](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/07/lockheed-martin-to-purchase-ultra-maritime-in-3-5b-deal/)
- [Lockheed Martin leads race for $3.5 billion buy of Ultra Maritime](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/06/lockheed-martin-leading-race-for-3point5-billion-buy-of-ultra-maritime-.html)