Defence systems company Ultra has acquired Siemens Radmon, the radiation monitoring business of the German engineering giant, for about £5 million.

Defence systems company Ultra has acquired Siemens Radmon, the radiation monitoring business of the German engineering giant, for about £5 million.

The acquired company will remain on its current site in Dorset until its site lease expires in 2010, when operations will be relocated. The cash for the acquisition, which is expected to be earnings neutral this year, is from Ultra’s existing resources.

Ultra expects Radmon’s expertise in neutron and radioactivity sensors to be ‘highly synergistic’ with its own nuclear reactor control systems business.

Douglas Caster, chief executive of Ultra, says the market for radiation sensors and control systems is growing in both the defence and civil sectors. He adds, ‘In both markets, money must be spent on replacing and upgrading the existing installed systems whilst growing the capability to support new build in the future.’

Radmon employs 48 staff in Poole and reported sales of £5.5 million this year.