Harris' Exelis Buy Still 'A Work In Progress'

Though Harris' purchase of Exelis is complete, the integration process will like take one to two years, Dana Mehnert, chief global business development officer, told InsideDefense.com at the annual Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, DC, this week.

Harris tapped Sheldon Fox, who joined Harris in 1984, to oversee the integration process. That's an "open-ended assignment," Mehnert said this week.

Already, however, he said Harris is seeing benefits from the deal. The purchase allows Harris to "be taken more seriously in more places," Mehnert said.

Harris has already announced plans to close Exelis' Fort Wayne, IN, tactical radio manufacturing facility, but Mehnert told InsideDefense.com it's too early to discuss other potential future cuts.