BAE in Talks to Buy Ball’s $5 Billion Aerospace Unit

  • Sale would allow Ball to focus on packaging ops, cut debt
  • Defense dealmaking rises amid growing security threats

The BAE Systems Plc. plant in Warton, UK.

Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe
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BAE Systems Plc is in talks about a possible acquisition of Ball Corp.’s aerospace division, people with knowledge of the matter said, in what would be the year’s largest acquisition by a UK corporate.

The London-listed defense giant is in discussions with the US packaging group about the terms of a takeover of the unit, which manufactures instruments and sensors for everything from space travel to weather forecasting, according to the people.