Boeing may purchase Mercury Systems

[NEW YORK] Boeing Inc is considering buying Mercury Systems, a supplier of digital signal and image processing systems to the aerospace and defence industry, according to two people.

Mercury, which has a market value of roughly US$440 million, offers big data processing systems, software and services to companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Raytheon Co.

A move by Boeing to buy one of its suppliers would allow the company to save costs and increase its footprint in commercial aerospace components. It would also allow the company to gain access to Mercury's microprocessor business, which can be used on unmanned aerial vehicles, according to one of the sources.