NexTech Solutions buys BOOMSLANG in latest counter-UAS expansion

NexTech Solutions has acquired BOOMSLANG Aerospace, a developer of unmanned aerial systems and counter-drone technology, the Huntsville, Alabama-based defense contractor announced August 24. The deal closed August 7.

The acquisition is the fifth NexTech Solutions has completed since 2023, when the company took a strategic investment from Clairvest, a Toronto-based private equity firm, to serve as a platform for growth in the defense technology sector.

BOOMSLANG brings a counter-UAS system called MONGOOSE, along with its broader family of unmanned aerial systems, into NexTech’s product lineup. The company’s engineering team has worked on UAS design and counter-UAS systems, according to NexTech.

NexTech said BOOMSLANG’s technology will be folded into its existing counter-UAS architecture, which already includes products such as MANTLE, VidTerra COMPASS and JEFF-K. The company described the combination as extending its coverage across detection, defeat and airborne mission sets, though it did not specify contract values, customer names or delivery timelines tied to the acquisition.

“BOOMSLANG Aerospace has built exactly the kind of technology our customers are asking for: cutting-edge, mission-ready, and purpose-built for the current threat environment at the edge,” said Joseph Paull, CEO of NexTech Solutions. “We are excited to integrate the MONGOOSE C-UAS system and BOOMSLANG UAS family of systems into our networked ecosystem of products.”

“Together, we can move faster from concept to fielded capability for the customers who need it most,” said Alan Cornett, president and co-founder of BOOMSLANG Aerospace.

“BOOMSLANG’s approach to unmanned aerial systems and their C-UAS technology aligns perfectly with the modular, requirements-driven C-UAS strategy we are building at NTS,” said David Pollman, director of counter-UAS operations at NexTech. Pollman previously served as deputy division chief of operations at the Department of War’s Joint Counter-UAS Office, where he worked on evaluating the department’s counter-UAS strategy before joining NexTech in 2024.

NexTech has operated for more than 13 years, providing systems engineering, testing and evaluation, and operational support to the Department of War and other U.S. government customers. The company has offices in Huntsville, Tampa and Northern Virginia.

Counter-UAS systems are designed to detect and, in some cases, disable or destroy small drones. Demand for such systems among U.S. military and government buyers has grown as adversaries and non-state actors have made increasing use of low-cost drones for surveillance and attacks.

NexTech has pursued a series of acquisitions and partnerships since the Clairvest investment. The company announced a counter-UAS partnership with Xtend and a separate collaboration with Monkton on secure mobility technology, and it has continued developing its MANTLE platform, including a mobile version for Android devices.