Following first acquisition, JHNA says it's pursuing additional deals

JHNA, which specializes in digital engineering for defense and federal agencies, earlier this month made its first acquisition, picking up security engineering services company Technology Security Associates.

Ian Northrop, JHNA's chief executive, told Inside Defense last week he'd like to see the company complete another acquisition by the end of the year.

He said while JHNA is comfortable with its geographic footprint, it could look to bolster its capabilities, particularly in data science and analytics.

Earlier this month, JHNA announced its purchase of TSA will nearly double its headcount, to about 180 employees. The company did not disclose the price it paid.

Northrop said the company sees a "future where the engineering and the security worlds are merging."

TSA specializes in securing weapons platforms and has historically been Navy-focused, he said; JHNA has been historically Army-focused.

"What we've noticed is increasingly these large engineering contracts have come out," Northrop said, meaning there were components JHNA couldn't do. With TSA, "it's a more comprehensive package that we can sell."

Northrop said JHNA intends to operate TSA as a subsidiary and maintain its brand.