A&D Weekly News & Transactions - Week 18

Industry Headline News

European Space Firms Raised €1.4B of Private Capital in 2025
May. 1, 2026 - European space companies raised approximately €1.4 billion in private funding in 2025, reflecting sustained investor interest in satellite, launch, and space infrastructure technologies. While the total marks continued growth in the sector, funding remains concentrated among a smaller number of later-stage companies, highlighting ongoing challenges for early-stage ventures. (Payload)

Meink: Air Force Has Five More E-7s Under Contract
Apr. 30, 2026 - The U.S. Air Force has contracts in place for five additional E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, bringing the total under contract to seven. These aircraft are intended to replace the aging E-3 AWACS fleet and improve airborne battle management capabilities. Despite the contracts, the program faces uncertainty as it was not funded in the fiscal 2027 budget request and may require congressional support to continue. (Air & Space Forces Magazine)

Canadian Defence Ministry Confirms Now Considering Plans to Abandon F-35 Stealth Fighter Purchases
Apr. 30, 2026 - Canada’s defense ministry is reportedly evaluating plans to cancel or scale back its F-35 stealth fighter acquisition, citing cost concerns and evolving defense priorities. The potential shift could significantly impact the country’s long-term air combat strategy and its commitments to allied interoperability. The review highlights ongoing debates over affordability and capability requirements associated with next-generation fighter programs. (Military Watch Magazine)

AMETEK to Acquire First Aviation Services in Defense MRO Expansion
Apr. 30, 2026 - AMETEK has agreed to acquire First Aviation Services to expand its presence in defense and aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul markets. First Aviation provides mission-critical MRO services and generates about $80 million in annual revenue across multiple U.S. facilities. The acquisition is expected to broaden AMETEK’s component repair capabilities and strengthen its portfolio of specialized aviation services. (citybiz)

Honeywell Announces Board of Directors for Honeywell Aerospace
Apr. 28, 2026 - Honeywell has named an 11-member board of directors for its aerospace business ahead of a planned spin-off expected in June 2026. The board includes a mix of aerospace, defense, and financial leaders, with Craig Arnold serving as independent chairman and CEO Jim Currier joining as a member. The appointments will take effect upon completion of the separation, positioning the new company as a standalone aerospace and defense entity. (PR Newswire)

Panama's Copa Airlines to Buy 60 Boeing 737 Max Jets
Apr. 28, 2026 - Copa Airlines has agreed to purchase up to 60 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in a deal valued at approximately $13.5 billion at list prices. The order will be delivered over the next eight years and, combined with existing orders, will allow the airline to add more than 100 new aircraft to its fleet. The expansion is expected to support fleet growth to over 200 aircraft by 2034 as part of its long-term modernization and capacity strategy. (Reuters)

True Anomaly Raises $650M to Support Space Interceptors for Trump’s Golden Dome
Apr. 28, 2026 - True Anomaly has raised $650 million to develop space-based interceptor systems tied to the proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative. The company is focused on building spacecraft capable of tracking and potentially countering threats in orbit. The funding supports continued growth in space defense technologies and expansion of the company’s capabilities. (CNBC)

Embraer Sees Commercial Aircraft Backlog Rise 50%, Buoyed by Finnair Order
Apr. 28, 2026 - Embraer reported a 50% increase in its commercial aircraft backlog, driven in part by a major order from Finnair and continued demand for regional jets. The growing backlog signals strengthening momentum in the commercial aviation market as airlines expand and modernize fleets. The development also underscores Embraer’s competitive positioning against larger manufacturers in the regional and narrowbody segments. (AeroTime)

L3Harris Plans Huntsville Facility Expansion Following $1B Investment from Pentagon
Apr. 27, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies is planning to expand and modernize its Huntsville, Alabama facility following a $1 billion investment from the Pentagon in its missile solutions business. The funding will be used to increase production capacity, accelerate research and development, and support manufacturing of critical national security technologies. The expansion is part of a broader effort to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and scale output for key missile and defense programs. (Huntsville Business Journal)

Weekly Transaction Review

No.	Parties Involved	Transaction Metrics			Location	Segment
	Target [Parent] Acquirer [Parent]	Price ($M)	Price/ Revenue	Price/ EBITDA	Target	Target
1	Optikos Artemis Capital	-	-	-	Wakefield, MA	Components & Subsystems
2	Sightline Technologies [Artemis Capital] Acron Technologies [Jordan Company]	-	-	-	Hood River, OR	Sensors & C4ISR
3	Enercon Services [Oaktree Capital] POND [Arlington Capital]	-	-	-	Kennesaw, GA	Engineering and Project Management
4	First Aviation Services [First Equity Group] Ametek	-	-	-	Westport, CT	MRO & Logistics
5	All.SPACE Networks York Space Systems	$355.0	-	-	Berkshire, United Kingdom	Satellite, Satellite Services & Space Systems

No.	Target Descriptions
1	Optikos designs and manufactures precision optical systems and provides testing and metrology services for aerospace, defense, and medical applications. The company supports imaging, sensing, and laser-based systems through optical design, assembly, and advanced measurement capabilities.
2	Sightline is a developer of image processing electronics and software products for private sector and U.S. federal government gimbal, UAS, UGV, and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) electro-optical platforms. The company's ultra-low size, weight, and power (SWaP) embedded systems deliver millisecond intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) insights for autonomous aircraft, tactical teams, and mission platforms worldwide.
3	Enercon is a provider of specialized nuclear engineering and licensing support as well as power-generating capability solutions for private sector and U.S. federal government markets. The company's federal services subsidiary supports operations and decommissioning efforts at US Army Corps of Engineers and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) facilities, including Oak Ridge, Tenn.
4	First Aviation Services is a provider of mission-critical defense and aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services and a manufacturer of related proprietary components for private sector and U.S. federal government aerospace and defense markets. The company's MRO capabilities include advanced electronics, rotor blades and assemblies, propellers, landing gear, and flight controls.
5	ALL.SPACE is a provider of advanced satellite communications terminals and multi-network connectivity solutions for private sector, international, and U.S. federal government markets. The company developed its highperformance, software-defined Hydra Terminal Range to enable simultaneous multi-link, multi-orbit, and multi-band connectivity across LEO, MEO, GEO, and HEO networks.