The U.S. Army has awarded Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, a contract valued at up to $472 million to provide engineering services for the modernization and sustainment of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter fleet’s avionics systems.

Announced in a press release on August 11, 2026, the agreement focuses on integrating new capabilities and addressing component obsolescence within the heavy-lift aircraft. The initiative aims to advance open, reusable avionics architectures, promoting platform commonality across the Army’s aviation enterprise to streamline future technology insertions and reduce integration costs.

Avionics upgrades and open architecture

The modernization effort targets the core avionics architecture of the Chinook, ensuring the platform remains technologically relevant for multidomain operations. Engineering services for the contract will be executed at Collins Aerospace facilities in Huntsville, Alabama, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Collins Aerospace operates as a business unit of RTX Corporation, a major defense and aerospace contractor that reported more than $88 billion in sales for 2025 and employs over 180,000 people globally. The company has a long history of supplying flight deck technology for military rotorcraft.

Jenny Miller, Vice President and General Manager of Vision and Sensing Systems at Collins Aerospace, stated that the company equips the Chinook with advanced avionics integrating communication, navigation, and mission subsystems into a flexible cockpit built for current operational demands.

“Our longstanding avionics partnership with the U.S. Army ensures the fleet continuously evolves to support the warfighter and meet future operational demands,” Miller said.

Transitioning the heavy-lift fleet

The avionics contract arrives as the U.S. Army actively transitions its heavy-lift helicopter inventory. On April 13, 2026, the Army’s PM Cargo delivered the final Block I CH-47F Chinook helicopter. This delivery marked a definitive shift toward Block II production and the ongoing modernization of the existing Block I fleet.

The U.S. Army’s Fiscal Year 2026 defense budget reinforces this transition. The budget includes funding for six new CH-47F Block II and five MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters. This procurement strategy underscores sustained confidence in the Chinook as the military branch’s core heavy-lift aircraft.

AirPro News analysis

We view this $472 million contract as a critical bridge in the U.S. Army’s rotorcraft strategy. By investing heavily in open systems architecture for the legacy CH-47 platform, the Army is hedging against the high costs of bespoke upgrades. Open architectures allow for modular technology insertions, meaning future communication or navigation systems can be integrated without requiring a complete avionics overhaul. This approach not only extends the operational life of the Chinook fleet but also aligns with broader Department of Defense mandates for platform commonality and reduced lifecycle sustainment costs. As the Army shifts focus to Block II production, maintaining a modernized and interoperable Block I fleet remains essential for near-term readiness.

Sources: RTX

Joby Aviation, Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Dayton, Ohio-based Resonant Sciences for approximately $500 million, a transaction that establishes a dedicated defense business unit for the electric aircraft developer.

Announced in a press release on August 11, 2026, the acquisitions allows Joby to target next-generation autonomous defense platforms while keeping its commercial division focused on certifying its electric air taxi. The deal is structured with $450 million in cash and $50 million in Joby common stock, with the transaction expected to close in the first half of 2027.

Strategic expansion into defense technology

The acquisition merges Joby’s propulsion and autonomy technology stack with Resonant’s capabilities in radio frequency (RF) sensing, signal processing, and low-observability aircraft design. Resonant Sciences, founded in 2015, brings an established defense portfolio and a workforce of approximately 250 employees, more than 90 percent of whom hold security clearances.

Joby Aviation Founder and Chief Executive Officer JoeBen Bevirt stated that the combination pairs Resonant’s established capabilities with Joby’s aircraft propulsion technologies.

“Resonant has built an exceptional business that combines advanced technology, vertically integrated production capabilities and deep customer trust,” Bevirt said. “The combination will pair Resonant’s established capabilities with Joby’s globally leading aircraft propulsion technologies, creating a powerful platform for the next phase of Resonant’s growth.”

For Resonant, the acquisition provides access to Joby’s engineering resources and production expertise. Resonant Sciences Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer J. Micah North noted that joining Joby allows the company to move faster for existing customers and pursue opportunities that neither company could address alone.

Financial footprint and Ohio manufacturing expansion

The transaction brings a revenue-generating asset into Joby’s portfolio. According to the press release, Resonant Sciences generated more than $100 million in trailing-twelve-month revenue, with year-over-year revenue growth of approximately 40 percent.

Joby Aviation Chief Financial Officer Rodrigo Brumana highlighted the financial logic of the acquisition, noting Resonant’s strong visibility into future revenue and healthy adjusted EBITDA margins. Brumana stated that Resonant’s technology, customer relationships, and scaled manufacturing make it a strong strategic fit as Joby builds out its defense business.

Expanding the Dayton manufacturing hub

The acquisition significantly expands Joby’s physical footprint in Ohio. Resonant currently operates approximately 105,000 square feet across seven buildings in the Dayton area and has an additional 125,000-square-foot facility under construction. Combined with Joby’s existing 768,000-square-foot facility in the state, the unified company will manage a footprint of approximately 1 million square feet in Ohio.

AirPro News analysis

We view this $500 million acquisition as a structural pivot for Joby Aviation, effectively bifurcating the company into distinct commercial and defense entities. By acquiring an established defense contractor with a cleared workforce and active U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, Joby accelerates its military revenue streams without diluting the engineering focus required for its commercial electric air taxi certification. The integration of Resonant’s low-observability and RF sensing technologies with Joby’s dual-use turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft platforms positions the combined company to compete for advanced autonomous military contracts that require stealth and specialized sensor payloads.

Sources: Joby Aviation

UK-based defense manufacturer Cambridge Aerospace secured $300 million in Series C funding on August 10, 2026, reaching a post-money valuation of $3.4 billion to scale production of its low-cost drones and missile interceptors.

In a press release issued on August 10, the company stated the capital injection will accelerate manufacturing capabilities for its Skyhammer and Starhammer systems. The funding round, led by DFJ Growth, highlights a rapid shift in defense procurement as military operators seek economical alternatives to traditional surface-to-air missiles for countering inexpensive unmanned aerial systems.

Scaling production and product lines

Cambridge Aerospace plans to use the new capital to dramatically increase its manufacturing output. According to reporting by the Financial Times, the company aims to reach a production rate of 2,500 Skyhammer interceptors per month by March 2027. The Skyhammer is designed specifically to defeat low-cost drones and cruise missiles. This addresses a tactical gap exposed by recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, where expensive interceptors like the Patriot system are frequently expended against cheap targets.

The company is also developing the Starhammer, a rocket-powered interceptor intended for high-speed targets. Sifted reported that Cambridge Aerospace targets 2027 to bring the Starhammer system to market. The rapid development timeline follows successful testing of the Skyhammer missiles in Jordan during May 2026.

Financial growth and government backing

The Series C round brings the total funding raised by Cambridge Aerospace to more than $630 million since its founding in 2024, as noted by Chief Executive Officer Steven Barrett in comments to the Financial Times. The company previously raised $200 million in a Series B round in April 2026, which valued the firm at $1.3 billion.

Alongside DFJ Growth, the latest funding round included participation from Lux Capital, Accel, Lakestar, Never Lift, Ora Global, and Elad Gil & Co. The financial backing aligns with increasing support from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD). In April 2026, the MoD awarded Cambridge Aerospace a contract to supply hundreds of Skyhammer interceptors. This was followed by the government announcement of the Low-Cost Effectors & Autonomous Platforms (LEAP) programme in July 2026.

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting characterized the valuation as a vote of confidence in the domestic defense sector, telling Sifted:

It is exactly what our unicorn scheme is designed to create: British startups scaling into billion-pound companies, creating skilled jobs, cementing the UK’s position at the forefront of defence innovation.

Corporate expansion and vertical integration

Cambridge Aerospace currently employs more than 250 personnel, primarily based at its headquarters in Cambridge, UK. The company is actively expanding its operational footprint across Germany, Poland, Norway, Ukraine, and Australia.

Chief Commercial Officer Chris Sylvan told Tectonic Defense that vertical integration and scaled manufacturing are central to maintaining the low price point of their interceptors. Sylvan noted that these factors make the company’s products highly engaging for military customers requiring cost-effective air defense solutions.

AirPro News analysis

The rapid valuation growth of Cambridge Aerospace from $1.3 billion in April 2026 to $3.4 billion in August 2026 underscores a fundamental realignment in aerospace defense priorities. We observe that the proliferation of inexpensive loitering munitions, such as the Shahed series, has rendered traditional cost-per-kill metrics unsustainable for Western militaries. By focusing on volume production and vertical integration, Cambridge Aerospace is positioning itself to fill a critical procurement void. If the company successfully achieves its target of 2,500 units per month by early 2027, it will establish a new baseline for interceptor manufacturing scale, potentially forcing legacy defense contractors to reevaluate their own production models.

Sources: Cambridge Aerospace