What CPI International does

Communications & Power Industries LLC (CPI International) is a global manufacturer of high-power and high-frequency electronic components and systems, organized into three business segments: Power Electronics (vacuum electron device amplifiers such as klystrons and traveling wave tubes, solid-state power amplifiers based on GaAs and GaN, and medical imaging generators), Antenna Technologies (large-aperture earth station antennas, radar and telemetry antennas, VSATs, antenna control systems, common data links, and specialty antennas including the trademarked FLAPS design), and Composite Structures (radomes, ISR pods, composite reflectors, and structural composites for aerospace and defense). Its products generate, amplify, transmit, direct, measure, and control electromagnetic energy, with proprietary technologies such as the LifeExtender cathode-coating preservation system and the patented LifePredictor cathode-life monitoring tool, reflecting over 75 years of heritage tracing to Varian Associates (founded 1948).

The company serves defense, communications, medical, scientific, radar, and industrial end markets, with marquee customers and programs including the MDA SHIELD missile defense program, NASA's LEGS lunar exploration ground sites (via Peraton), SES's O3b mPOWER constellation, and SiriusXM. CPI manufactures across facilities in the United States (Plano, State College, Kilgore, Irving, Stow, Hudson, Centennial), Canada (Georgetown), Germany (Duisburg), India (Gurugram), and Estonia, and distributes globally through division-specific direct sales teams supplemented by certified resellers and systems integrators across more than 50 countries.

CPI operates as a privately held, private-equity-backed company owned by The Jordan Company, L.P. since October 2022, having previously traded on NASDAQ under CPII from 2006 to 2011. The business model is B2B direct sales of configured/customized hardware and related professional services (installation, integration, testing, upgrading) under multi-year contracts with defense primes, government agencies, and commercial OEMs. Under Jordan Company ownership, CPI has executed a series of transformative acquisitions (notably the General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies business in 2020 and the General Dynamics Mission Systems satellite antenna systems business in December 2023) followed by a 2024 divestiture of the Electron Device Business (BMD, MPP, MPP Econco, TMD Technologies) to concentrate the portfolio on antennas, radomes/composites, and satcom amplifier products.

Name

CPI International

Legal name

Communications & Power Industries LLC

Website

https://cpii.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

CPI International is a global manufacturer of high-power RF, microwave, antenna, radome, and composite-structure hardware serving defense, satellite communications, medical, scientific, radar, and industrial markets. Privately held under The Jordan Company, it sells configured systems and integration services to government agencies and OEMs worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microwave and RF Components and Systems (defense and communications)

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33429)

SIC

Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Power Amplifiers (PAs) & Envelope Tracking ICs (HDAHAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wide-Bandgap Power Devices (SiC/GaN Discretes) (HDAHAHAG), RF, Microwave & Wireless ICs (HDAHAAAF), RF Front-End Modules (FEMs) & Integrated RF Modules (HDAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Satellite communication amplifiers
• Vacuum electron devices
• Radar antenna systems
• Radome manufacturing
• Medical X-ray generators

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Antennas and Amplifiers: CPI manufactures and sells precision antenna systems, high-power satellite communications amplifiers, radomes, and composite structures for defense and commercial applications. Products include both vacuum electron devices (VEDs) such as TWTs and klystrons, as well as solid-state power amplifiers.
2. Services - Installation and Integration: CPI provides customization, installation, testing, integration and upgrading of satellite communications systems worldwide, as well as global after-market service and support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CPI International designs and manufactures advanced high-power and high-frequency components and systems, including vacuum electron device (klystron and traveling wave tube) amplifiers, GaAs/GaN solid-state power amplifiers, large aperture antennas for satellite communications and radar, antenna control systems, advanced composite radomes and reflectors, and medical X-ray generators. The company's products generate, amplify, transmit, direct, measure and control electromagnetic energy, and are sold to defense, communications, medical, scientific, and industrial customers through direct sales and global resellers/integrators.

Product overview

CPI International is a global manufacturer of advanced high-power and high-frequency technologies and systems for defense, communications, scientific, industrial, and medical markets. The company offers a broad, integrated portfolio organized around three core business segments: Power Electronics (amplifiers using both vacuum electron device and solid-state technology), Antenna Technologies (large aperture antennas, antenna control systems, and RF components), and Composite Structures (radomes, reflectors, and structural composites). The Power Electronics segment includes Klystron Power Amplifiers (KPAs), Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWTAs), and Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) using GaAs and GaN technology for satellite communications across all frequency bands. The Antenna Technologies segment encompasses Earth Station Antennas (ESAs), Radar Antennas, VSAT Antennas, Specialty Antennas, Antenna Control Systems, Flyaway Antennas, Mobile Antennas, Quick Deploy Antennas, Common Data Links, and 5G Solutions. The Composite Structures segment provides Radomes and Pods (including ESSCO ground-based radomes and AdamWorks ISR pods), Composite Reflectors, and Structural Composites for aerospace and defense applications. CPI also offers Medical X-ray Generators for diagnostic imaging. Recent product additions include the Stardust Gateway Terminals for LEO/MEO constellations and MOCAT Tactical Antennas for rapid deployment military applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Antenna Technologies: CPI business unit specializing in antenna systems including precision antenna systems, antenna control units, and specialty antennas for satcom, radar and telemetry applications.
• Composite Structures
• Power Electronics: Amplifier Products
• Power Electronics: Generator Products
• Radant Technologies
• ESSCO
• AdamWorks
• Malibu Research Associates
• Orbital Systems
• Vertex Antennentechnik

Products and services

• Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) Solid-state power amplifiers using GaAs and GaN technology for satellite communications, defense, and scientific applications across microwave to millimeter-wave frequencies. Includes GaAs SSPAs, GaN SSPAs, line drive amplifiers, low noise amplifiers (LNAs/LNBs), and combined SSPBs with block up-converters.
• Vacuum Electron Device Tube-Based Amplifiers (KPAs and TWTAs) Klystron Power Amplifiers (KPAs) and Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWTAs) for high-power satellite communications, radar, and electronic warfare applications, including supporting accessories.
• Earth Station, Radar, Telemetry, VSAT, and Specialty Antennas Large aperture and compact antenna systems for satellite earth stations, military and commercial radar, telemetry tracking and command, VSAT data communications, and specialty applications including FLAPS (Flat Parabolic Surface), stabilized shipboard tracking, and conformal electronic scanning antennas, with antenna controllers and accessories.
• Antenna Control Systems High-precision antenna pointing and tracking control systems, including fixed, transportable, and tracking receivers, supported by more than 50 years of development experience in satellite tracking and control.
• Common Data Links (CDLs) Data link systems for line-of-sight communications used in defense applications for ground, airborne, UAV, and shipboard platforms.
• Flyaway, Mobile, and Quick Deploy Antennas Portable, rapidly deployable antenna systems for satellite communications in mobile or field conditions, including satcom-on-the-move (SOTM) and time-sensitive deployment scenarios.
• 5G Antenna and RF Solutions Antenna and RF solutions for 5G communications applications.
• Klystrons (Microwave Power Sources) Vacuum electron device klystrons used for high-power microwave power generation in satellite communications, radar, and industrial applications.
• Radomes and Pods Advanced composite radomes and ISR pods protecting antennas from environmental elements and physical damage for ground, air, sea, and submarine applications, including aircraft radomes, military and commercial aircraft radomes, shipboard radomes, submarine radomes, ESSCO large metal space frame ground radomes, and AdamWorks ISR pods housing sensors, optics, and electronics.
• Structural Composites Advanced composite structures for aerospace and defense, including composite reflector antennas (lightweight, temperature-stable, available in conventional and portable configurations up to 10 feet in diameter) and military and commercial aircraft components.
• Medical X-ray Generators and Power Grid Devices High-performance generators and high-voltage power supplies for diagnostic X-ray imaging, including radiographic and fluoroscopic generators, generator accessories, and medical power grid devices supporting migration from film-based to digital radiology.
• Instrumentation Amplifiers High-power CW and pulsed instrumentation amplifiers for EMC/EMI testing and other industrial and scientific test applications.
• Starfield Tactical Antenna New tactical antenna debuted at Satellite 2026 for satellite communications in defense and commercial applications.
• Stardust Gateway Antenna (Terminal) Latest-generation Starlight/Stardust Gateway Antenna engineered for Ka- and Q/V-band frequencies, custom-made for high-volume demands of modern LEO and MEO satellite constellations with integrated CPI RF electronics and software-guided commissioning; debuted at Satellite 2026.
• MOCAT Tactical Antennas Multi-Orbit Compact Antenna Technology (MOCAT) Tactical Antennas - portable, lightweight, multi-orbit and frequency agnostic tactical flyaway antennas with integrated digital tracking receiver and field-replaceable carbon fiber reflector panels for rapid deployment in conflict situations, announced November 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• CPI products are used worldwide in groundbreaking systems for defense, commercial communications, space exploration, and medical diagnostics

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Teledyne Technologies: Diversified industrial/defense technology group with engineered subsystems in RF/microwave and electronic instrumentation, addressing similar defense and commercial programs.
• RTX (Raytheon): Major US prime in defense electronics and EW with competing radar, satcom, and microwave amplifier product lines across government and commercial markets.
• Thales Group: Global defense electronics and aerospace group with comparable offerings in microwave subsystems, satcom antennas, and radomes for defense and civil customers.
• L3Harris Technologies: Large prime integrator of defense communications, EW, and microwave subsystems with a much broader portfolio than CPI but overlapping in RF amplifiers, antennas, and satcom components — including Common Data Links.
• General Dynamics Mission Systems: Sold its satellite antenna systems business to CPI in 2023 and remains a satcom/mission-systems incumbent adjacent to CPI's antenna portfolio across defense customers.

Emerging players

• MACOM Technology Solutions: Specialist semiconductor company producing GaN-on-SiC and GaAs amplifiers for defense, satcom, and EW — a GaN SSPA competitor within CPI's solid-state amplifier franchise.
• Qorvo: RF semiconductor supplier with defense-aerospace GaN and GaAs products that overlap the upstream component layer of CPI's solid-state amplifier offerings.

Direct peers

• Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions: Specialist in RF, microwave, and satcom components for defense and aerospace, directly comparable to CPI's amplifier and antenna product lines.
• Comtech Telecommunications: Satellite ground station and RF subsystems provider with overlapping satcom antenna and amplifier offerings to defense and commercial operators.
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: Provider of microwave components, high-power amplifiers, and antennas for EW, radar, and satcom — a close technological and customer-base overlap with CPI's VED/SSPA and antenna portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cpii
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cpi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CPI International