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Swiss Plane Maker Pilatus Stops U.S. Business Jet Deliveries Amid 39% Tariffs
Aug. 8, 2025 - Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus has temporarily halted deliveries of its PC-12 and PC-24 business jets to the United States due to steep new U.S. import tariffs, which account for roughly 40% of Pilatus’s production and place the company at a “significant competitive disadvantage.” The company is exploring alternative markets and accelerating plans for a local assembly plant in Sarasota, Florida, while working to preserve jobs for its 3,000 employees through measures like short-time work or natural attrition. U.S. officials and Swiss authorities are in discussions to ease the trade barriers in response to economic and employment concerns. (Reuters)
Aug. 7, 2025 - U.S. defense-tech firm Anduril Industries officially launched a new Korean office in Seoul, hosting the opening ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel with support from the U.S. Embassy in Korea and the U.S. Commercial Service. (Korea Joongang Daily)
Aug. 7, 2025 - Firefly Aerospace raised approximately $868 million by selling over 19.3 million shares at $45 each in a major upsized IPO, giving the company a valuation of around $6.32 billion and marking the largest space-tech public offering in the U.S. this year. The stock debuted under the ticker symbol FLY on the Nasdaq, opening near $70 before settling in the low $60s, reflecting robust investor demand and enthusiasm for space-related ventures. Firefly’s momentum is anchored by its March lunar success with the Blue Ghost lander and a backlog of about $1.1 billion in contracts—including new NASA CLPS agreements—and underscores its strategic collaborations with national security and defense players such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin as it positions itself as a sustainable space-launch and mission-services contender. (CNBC)
Rheinmetall Holds Off Raising Guidance Despite Surging Sales
Aug. 7, 2025 - Rheinmetall reported second-quarter sales of €2.43 billion (up 8.8 % year-on-year), with net profit more than doubling to €159 million and operating profit rising modestly to €276 million, but declined to raise its full-year outlook amid delayed order intake tied to the federal budget transition in Germany. The company nevertheless reaffirmed its 2025 targets—expecting 25 %–30 % sales growth and an operating margin around 15.5 %—bolstered by a record backlog of approximately €63 billion and ongoing investments to expand production across Europe as part of its strategy to become a global defense champion. CEO Armin Papperger emphasized that order awards from the German government are expected in the second half of the year, even as a planned ammunition plant in Lower Saxony nears inauguration and efforts continue to scale capacity in response to rising defense demand. (The Wall Street Journal))
Spirit AeroSystems Expects Boeing Acquisition to Close in Fourth Quarter Amid Deep Losses
Aug. 6, 2025 - Spirit AeroSystems revealed a $631 million loss for the quarter ending July 3, with forward charges including $100 million on Airbus A220 work, $58 million on A350, $38 million on 787 components, and a $44 million excess capacity charge, despite a roughly 10 % year-on-year revenue increase to $1.6 billion and delivery of 430 aircraft ship-sets, including 152 737s. The Wichita-based aerostructures manufacturer now anticipates that Boeing’s acquisition will close in the fourth quarter of 2025, pushed back amid a second request from U.S. antitrust regulators and asset divestments. Airbus has also extended $94 million in support, bringing its total assistance to $152 million to help maintain operations during the transition. (FlightGlobal)
Bombardier to Expand Aftermarket Service Centers Across U.S. Amid Rising Demand
Aug. 7, 2025 - Bombardier announced plans to expand its aftermarket service and support network across multiple U.S. regions, building on its existing centers in Dallas, Tucson, Hartford, Wichita and Miami Opa-Locka to better meet elevated demand for customer care and support. The expansion—set to unfold over several years and including both current hubs and new locations—supports the company’s ambition to hit a services revenue target of $2 billion by 2025, driven in part by stronger profitability from deliveries of its high-margin Global models and defense products. (Reuters via Yahoo Finance)
Archer Accelerates Defense Program with Two Strategic Acquisitions Amid Rising Demand
Aug. 7, 2025 - Archer announced two strategic acquisitions to accelerate development of its next-generation defense aircraft, building on its December 2024 partnership with Anduril to co-develop hybrid, autonomous VTOL military aircraft following a $1.3 billion capital raise. One acquisition secures a patent portfolio and key engineering talent from Overair—a spin-off of Karem Aircraft known for high-efficiency tiltrotor design—while the other adds composite manufacturing assets and an approximately 60,000 sq ft facility from Mission Critical Composites in Southern California, enabling in-house rapid prototyping and iteration. These moves coincide with strong industry momentum, marked by the Pentagon’s recent $13.4 billion budget request for autonomous military systems. (Archer)
Brazil Planemaker Embraer Hopeful About Fresh US Sales Despite Tariffs
Aug. 6, 2025 - Embraer’s CEO Francisco Gomes Neto expressed confidence that the company can secure its first U.S. order for the E195-E2 regional jet, even though a lingering 10% duty, in place since April, continues to complicate the effort—even after the company was spared from a more onerous 50% tariff. He highlighted that the E2 would appeal as a “small narrow-body” complement to larger single-aisle jets, but noted that breaking into the U.S. remains challenging due to union weight restrictions and intense competition from the Airbus A220, which is assembled in Alabama. To bolster its position, Embraer is advocating for a return to zero-tariff norms, emphasizing its deep U.S. connections—including plans to buy $21 billion in U.S. parts by 2030 and pitching a potential $500 million U.S. assembly line for its KC-390 military airlifter. (Reuters)
Spain Rules Out Buying F-35, Choosing European Alternatives Instead
Aug. 6, 2025 - Spain’s Defence Ministry confirmed that the country will no longer consider purchasing U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets—initially budgeted at €6.25 billion—and will instead decide between European options: the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) joint program with France and Germany, aligning with a plan to dedicate most of its €10.5 billion increased defence spending to European industry. (Reuters)
Northrop Grumman’s Factory Investments Prime It for Golden Dome Missile Defense Demand
Aug. 5, 2025 - Northrop Grumman executives say that the company’s multi-billion-dollar investment in expanding its solid rocket motor production facilities positions it well to meet the Pentagon’s anticipated procurement increase for the Golden Dome missile defense program. This enhancement in propulsion manufacturing capacity is seen as a decisive competitive advantage as the U.S. scales up its space-based missile interception ambitions. (SpaceNews)
Denmark to Complete $3.4 Billion of Air Defense Purchases by Year-End
Aug. 5, 2025 - Denmark plans to finalize acquisition of ground-based air defense systems by the end of this year, committing up to 25 billion Danish kroner (approximately US $3.4 billion). The country will choose between the U.S. Patriot system and the French-Italian SAMP/T for its long-range capability, while already securing interim systems—including a NASAMS lease from Norway, two VL MICA units from MBDA, and one IRIS-T SLM system from Diehl Defence—that are expected to be operational from late 2025 through early 2027. These investments mark a strategic step by Denmark to rebuild its air defense after decommissioning Hawk missile units two decades ago, aligning with broader European NATO-driven priorities to bolster aerial defenses in light of mounting regional threats. (Defense News)
Ortberg Reasserts Boeing’s Seattle Heartland as Turnaround Strategy Anchors Recovery
Aug. 5, 2025 - In his first year as CEO, Kelly Ortberg reversed previous moves by relocating Boeing’s main office back to the Commercial Airplanes division near Seattle, signaling a renewed focus on proximity to manufacturing and operations, while guiding the embattled company through a 53-day machinists’ strike, widespread layoffs, tariffs, a 787 crash, and deteriorating finances. He declared the turnaround plan was "taking hold" after delivering second-quarter results—reflected in improved stability, strengthened program execution, and an emerging cultural shift—though analysts caution Boeing still faces certification and cash-flow challenges. Despite progress, observers note that while the company is making strides, significant hurdles remain before Boeing can reclaim its industry leadership. (Aviation Week)
Rheinmetall Aims for Majority Stake in New European Missile JV with Lockheed Martin
Aug. 4, 2025 - Rheinmetall revealed its plan to hold a 60% stake in a joint venture with Lockheed Martin to establish a European missile production "center of competence," aiming to reduce reliance on slow U.S. supply chains that sometimes delay deliveries by up to a decade. The venture would vertically integrate both rocket motor and warhead production—with motors manufactured in Unterlüss and warheads in Italy—and target key systems like ATACMS, GMLRS, Hellfire, JAGM, and PAC-3, with a capacity of up to 10,000 missiles and 10,000 motors per year. Rheinmetall expects the production line to be operational in roughly 12–13 months, with missile assembly starting in 2027 and a potential annual sales volume of €5 billion, pending U.S. government approval. (Defence Industry Europe)
Aug. 4, 2025 - Anduril Industries has emerged as the third U.S. supplier of solid rocket motors (SRMs), breaking a longstanding duopoly held by L3Harris and Northrop Grumman, as global geopolitical tensions drive surging munitions demand. (Reuters)
Thousands of Boeing Defense Workers Go on Strike, Disrupting Fighter and Weapons Production
Aug. 4, 2025 - About 3,200 machinists at Boeing’s St. Louis-based defense facilities—including sites in St. Charles, Missouri, and Mascoutah, Illinois—went on strike after rejecting the company's latest contract offer, marking the first such strike in the region since 1996 and halting production of key systems like the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-15EX. The walkout, initiated at midnight following a union vote, underscores the machinists’ demands for fair compensation and recognition of their crucial role in national defense. Boeing, which had anticipated such action, stated it has contingency plans in place, though the strike poses a serious challenge to maintaining defense output. (Breaking Defense)
Lockheed Martin Accelerates Missile and Space System Production Amid Surging Global Demand
Aug. 4, 2025 - Lockheed Martin is significantly expanding its production capacity across key missile and space systems, investing heavily in automation, resilient supply chains, and enhanced manufacturing infrastructure to expedite delivery. Demand for the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor has surged among U.S. and allied forces, with Lockheed on track to produce over 600 units in 2025 and targeting 650 units annually by 2027. (Defence Industry)
Palantir Smashes Expectations with Record $1 Billion Q2 as AI Demand Soars
Aug. 4, 2025 - Palantir reported a record quarterly revenue of $1.00 billion, up 48% year-over-year, with adjusted earnings of $0.16 per share, beating expectations, buoyed by surging demand for its AI-enhanced data analytics platform across both government and commercial sectors. U.S. commercial revenue nearly doubled—growing by roughly 90%—while U.S. government revenue climbed 53%, supported by a $10 billion decade-long U.S. Army contract and a $218 million order from the U.S. Space Force. The company lifted its full-year guidance to between $4.14–4.15 billion, up from the prior $3.89–3.90 billion range, and saw its stock jump in after-hours trading. (CNBC)
