KBR’s latest acquisition boosts its classified space workforce amid growing military demand | Space

WASHINGTON — Following its acquisition of LinQuest, KBR’s specialized national security workforce will now grow to 3,000 personnel, with a substantial portion possessing high-level clearances and space program expertise.

KBR, a global engineering and services firm, earlier this week closed a $737 million acquisition of LinQuest, a defense and space support services contractor with a large number of cleared workers and secure facilities. KBR, with a global workforce of 36,000, will absorb LinQuest’s 1,500 employees into its national security business. 

The combination positions KBR to meet the U.S. military’s growing demand for classified space programs, Thomas “Jay” Lennon, KBR’s senior vice president of national security solutions, said in an interview with SpaceNews.

The deal, finalized on Sept. 3, comes at a time when the Pentagon and intelligence agencies are increasingly seeking contractors with secure facilities and personnel cleared to work on sensitive projects, particularly in key regions like Los Angeles and Colorado Springs, where both the U.S. Space Force and intelligence agencies are ramping up operations.

“The need for both classified facilities and classified expertise was critical to our decision to pursue the LinQuest acquisition,” said Lennon. 

Growth in classified work

The acquisition will increase KBR’s…