Surveillance firm merger to expand ‘space architecture’ and use of AI for intelligence

Herndon, Virginia-based signals intelligence firm HawkEye 360, a U.S. commercial satellite company that collects communications from space, has acquired surveillance data company Innovative Signal Analysis to increase its military and intelligence capabilities.

Innovative Signal Analysis (ISA), based in Dallas, will provide HawkEye 360 with the ability to take communications collected from around the globe from space and use algorithms to detect and identify more intelligence for the U.S. government.

“This acquisition marks a transformative moment in our long-term vision for HawkEye 360,” said John Serafini, CEO of HawkEye 360, in a statement. Mr. Serafini said the move will bring HawkEye 360 “closer to becoming the industry’s central hub for all-domain signals intelligence.”

The company has major, multimillion-dollar contracts with the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. Navy and other arms of the government. HawkEye 360 started in 2015 selling commercial signals intelligence from space as a service.

A recent $98.8 million indefinite contract renewal with the U.S. Navy is in its fourth year as part of the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness initiative.

The signals from space — communications taking place between people and governments all over the world — are a critical part of the U.S. intelligence apparatus. Large collection programs developed in the early 2000s gave the U.S. an edge in the geopolitical competition of collecting as much information as possible for decision makers in government.

Much of the world’s communications now flow through the National Security Agency in one form or another, intelligence sources say, but outside firms like HawkEye 360 own and operate space-based equipment to provide that kind of information to the government and other customers.

Modern programs are able to collect many of those communications from satellites in orbit and use artificial intelligence and other algorithms to analyze raw data, turn it into usable intelligence and pluck out what aspects of the mass of information are useful.

Most of those capabilities aren’t being developed in-house, according to sources in the intelligence community. Whether leveraging contracts for work within intelligence agencies or hiring them for capabilities they own like HawkEye 360 and ISA, the broader apparatus requires the capability of private companies to support it.

“By combining HawkEye 360’s [radio frequency] data with ISA’s real-time processing expertise, we are delivering faster access to insights, broader detection across critical signals, and greater automation throughout the workflow,” said Todd Probert, president of the U.S. government business for HawkEye 360.

ISA is trying to use AI developed along with custom software solutions for the government to be able to hear, use and pinpoint locations for communications from around the world. HawkEye 360 currently has a constellation of low-earth orbit satellites collecting and analyzing radio signals.

The merger also will give HawkEye 360 the ability to make useful information out of a broader swath of communications for defense, government, and intelligence users.

The goal, the two companies say, is a space-based platform capable of processing more information on-board and providing intelligence to more complex and remote operations around the world, according to the company’s statement.

“The combined organization provides a highly talented, mission-focused technical team with a track record of innovation and contribution to national security,” said Dr. Stacy Kniffen, president of ISA. “Collectively, we offer disruptive solutions for our defense and intelligence customers, providing timely, mission-critical data products enabled by advanced algorithms and automation in a cost-effective, resilient, highly proliferated space architecture.”

That “space architecture” is rapidly growing and the continued involvement of private companies conducting intelligence collection will make mergers like this a higher priority for the government.