US satellite firm’s takeover of Inmarsat ‘not a step-in-and-steal deal’

Viasat says it isn't about ripping out cost to make the numbers', and it has longstanding relationship in UK

The chief executive of the US satellite company that is buying Inmarsat for $7.3bn (5.4bn) has said it is not stealing" Britain's crown jewel in the space communications race, and is confident the deal would be cleared by a potential investigation by the government to assess the threat of a foreign takeover to national security.

Rick Baldridge, the chief executive of Viasat, was in London with his team last week to meet government agencies, Inmarsat management and media as part of a mission to pave the way for clearance of the California-based company's biggest ever deal.