Herley Industries
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHerley Industries is a U.S. defense-electronics company supplying microwave, millimeter-wave, telemetry, electronic-warfare, and command-and-control technologies.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Herley Industries is an American defense and aerospace electronics company headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Its business has centered on the design and manufacture of microwave and millimeter-wave products and systems used in radar, flight instrumentation, weapon sensors, electronic warfare, missile and target guidance, and related defense applications. Herley has supplied defense contractors, the U.S. government, and international governments and militaries, operating primarily as a specialized technology and subsystem provider rather than as a consumer-facing brand. Founded in 1965, the company expanded through a long sequence of acquisitions that broadened its capabilities beyond core microwave components. A 1986 acquisition helped Herley enter flight instrumentation, including range-safety transponders. During the 1990s it added microwave subsystem design, precision laboratory products, high-frequency radio and identification-friend-or-foe systems, airborne telemetry, and data-acquisition capabilities. Acquisitions completed between 1999 and 2005 further expanded the portfolio into microwave components, broadband radio-frequency amplifiers, electronic-warfare simulation, frequency synthesis, satellite command and control, unmanned-vehicle and missile tracking, and embedded wireless communications. Herley experienced a significant legal and operational crisis in 2006, when the company and former chairman Lee N. Blatt were indicted in connection with allegations concerning excessive profits on three U.S. Department of Defense contracts. Several manufacturing locations and a marketing office were temporarily suspended from initiating new federal contracts. The disruption was accompanied by a substantial decline in the company’s share price. Herley later reached an administrative agreement with the U.S. Navy’s acquisition-integrity office in October 2006, lifting the suspension, and settled the related matter for $10 million in July 2010 without admitting wrongdoing. The company continued to reorganize its portfolio and leadership. It sold Innovative Concepts to Elbit Systems of America in 2008, acquired Israeli microwave specialist Eyal Microwave Industries that same year, and changed its senior leadership in 2009, appointing David Lieberman as chairman and Richard Poirier as president and chief executive officer. Herley was acquired by Ultra Electronics in 2015. Ultra Electronics was itself acquired by Cobham in 2021. In March 2023, the Herley portion of Ultra Electronics was acquired by CAES, placing Herley within a defense-electronics group focused on mission-critical radio-frequency, microwave, electronic-warfare, and related technologies. The Herley name therefore represents an established technology business and product heritage operating within a larger corporate structure, rather than an independent public company.
History
Herley Industries was founded in 1965 in the United States and developed as a specialist supplier of microwave and millimeter-wave technologies for defense and aerospace customers. Its products and systems have been associated with radar, flight instrumentation, electronic warfare, weapon sensors, guidance, telemetry, and command-and-control applications. The company’s growth strategy relied heavily on acquiring complementary engineering and manufacturing businesses. In 1986, an acquisition brought Herley into flight instrumentation and range-safety transponders. It subsequently acquired or purchased assets from Micro-Dynamics, Vega Precision Laboratories, Stewart Warner Electronics’ government systems business, Metraplex, General Microwave, Robinson Labs, American Microwave Technologies, EW Simulation Technology, Communication Techniques, Reliable System Services, Micro Systems, and Innovative Concepts. These transactions expanded Herley from microwave hardware into airborne telemetry, radio-frequency amplification, frequency synthesis, electronic-warfare simulation, satellite command and control, unmanned-system tracking, missile tracking, embedded computing, and wireless defense communications. Herley’s 2006 federal contracting crisis was a major interruption in its history. The company and former chairman Lee N. Blatt were indicted over allegations relating to profits on three Department of Defense contracts. Three manufacturing plants and a Chicago marketing office were placed under suspension, restricting their ability to initiate new federal work. Herley announced an administrative agreement with the Department of the Navy’s acquisition-integrity office in October 2006, after which the suspension was lifted. The company later settled the matter for $10 million in July 2010 without admitting wrongdoing. The company continued to adjust its portfolio and governance. It sold Innovative Concepts to Elbit Systems of America in November 2008 and acquired Eyal Microwave Industries in Israel in September 2008. In July 2009, Myron Levy was replaced as chairman and chief executive. David Lieberman became chairman, while longtime Herley executive Richard Poirier became president and chief executive officer. Herley was acquired by Ultra Electronics in 2015. Ultra later became part of Cobham through a 2021 acquisition. In March 2023, CAES acquired the Herley business from Ultra Electronics. Herley is consequently best understood today as a defense-electronics business and technology heritage operating under CAES rather than as an independent listed corporation.
- 2023
Herley business acquired by CAES
[1]CAES acquired the Herley portion of Ultra Electronics in March 2023.
- 2021
Ultra Electronics acquired by Cobham
[1]Herley’s then-parent Ultra Electronics was acquired by Cobham.
- 2015
Acquired by Ultra Electronics
[1]Herley became part of Ultra Electronics.
- 2008
Portfolio transactions in the United States and Israel
[1]Herley acquired Eyal Microwave Industries and sold Innovative Concepts to Elbit Systems of America.
- 2006
Federal contracting suspension
[1]Several Herley facilities were suspended from initiating new federal contracts amid an indictment involving alleged excessive profits.
- 2005
Command-and-control portfolio broadened
[1]Herley acquired Micro Systems and Innovative Concepts, adding unmanned-target tracking, missile systems, embedded processing, and defense communications capabilities.
- 2002
Electronic-warfare simulation expanded
[1]The acquisition of EW Simulation Technology expanded Herley’s electronic-warfare and international-market presence.
- 1999
General Microwave acquired
[1]Herley acquired General Microwave, strengthening its microwave-subsystem manufacturing capabilities.
- 1986
Entry into flight instrumentation
[1]An acquisition enabled Herley to enter flight instrumentation and begin designing and manufacturing range-safety transponders.
- 1965
Herley Industries founded
[1]Herley was established in the United States as a defense and aerospace electronics company.
Products and positioning
A specialized defense and aerospace electronics supplier focused on high-performance radio-frequency, microwave, millimeter-wave, telemetry, electronic-warfare, and command-and-control technologies.
Defense electronics
Microwave and millimeter-wave products
Herley’s core technology base consists of microwave and millimeter-wave components and subsystems used in radar, weapon sensors, guidance equipment, electronic-warfare systems, and other high-frequency defense applications. These products are generally supplied to defense contractors and government customers as specialized components or integrated subsystem elements.
Flight instrumentation · 1986
Flight instrumentation and range-safety transponders
Herley entered flight instrumentation through an acquisition in 1986. This area included the design and manufacture of range-safety transponders and related equipment used to monitor and control flight-test or aerospace operations.
Aerospace instrumentation · 1997
Telemetry and data-acquisition systems
Through acquisitions including Metraplex, Herley developed capabilities in airborne pulse-code-modulation and frequency-modulation telemetry, as well as data-acquisition systems. These technologies support the collection and transmission of test, flight, and mission data.
Electronic warfare · 2002
Electronic-warfare simulation systems
Herley expanded into electronic-warfare simulation through EW Simulation Technology. The business supplied systems intended to reproduce or model electromagnetic threats and environments for defense testing, training, evaluation, and development.
Defense command and control · 2004
Command-and-control and tracking systems
Acquisitions in the 2000s added satellite-based command and control, target tracking, and mission systems for unmanned aerial, seaborne, and ground vehicles and missiles. These capabilities complemented Herley’s radio-frequency hardware with system-level defense applications.
Controversies
2006
Federal indictment over defense-contract profits
Herley Industries and former chairman Lee N. Blatt were indicted in connection with allegations that the company obtained excessive profits on three U.S. Department of Defense contracts. Several facilities were suspended from initiating new federal contracts. The suspension was lifted after an administrative agreement in October 2006, and the company later settled the matter for $10 million in 2010 without admitting wrongdoing.
Brand decisions
2023
Transfer Herley business to CAESM&ABackground
After Cobham acquired Ultra Electronics in 2021, the Herley business was subsequently separated from the Ultra portfolio.
Action taken
CAES acquired the Herley portion of Ultra Electronics in March 2023.
Aftermath
Herley became part of CAES and continued as a defense-electronics business within a larger corporate group.
2015
Acquire Herley IndustriesM&ABackground
Herley had built a broad portfolio of microwave, telemetry, electronic-warfare, and command-and-control businesses.
Action taken
Ultra Electronics acquired Herley Industries.
Aftermath
Herley ceased operating as an independent publicly traded company and became part of Ultra Electronics.
2008
Sell Innovative Concepts to Elbit Systems of AmericaM&ABackground
Innovative Concepts had joined Herley through a 2005 acquisition and provided wireless communications, embedded systems, software, hardware, and high-speed processing for defense applications.
Action taken
Herley sold Innovative Concepts to Elbit Systems of America in November 2008.
Aftermath
The transaction narrowed Herley’s portfolio while transferring the Innovative Concepts business to another defense-technology company.
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