A&D Weekly News & Transactions - Week 29

Industry Headline News

Gulf Air Places $7B Dreamliner Order with Boeing
July 20, 2025 - Gulf Air has secured a $7 billion contract with Boeing for 12 widebody 787 Dreamliners, including options for six additional aircraft. This order underscores the airline's commitment to modernizing its fleet and expanding its global network. The deal also serves as a vote of confidence in the 787 program following the tragic crash of an Air India 787 in June. (American Machinist)

Belgium Expands F-35 Fleet to 45 Aircraft Amid Strategic Shift Toward European Defense
July 19, 2025 - Belgium has announced plans to acquire 11 additional Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, increasing its fleet to a total of 45 aircraft. This expansion is part of the country's broader defense strategy, which includes raising defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by the 2030s and enhancing interoperability with NATO allies. The Belgian Air Component is transitioning from its aging F-16 fleet to the F-35, with the first eight units currently stationed in the U.S. for training purposes. (Aviation Week)

Delta Air Lines Nears Deal to Order Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners
July 19, 2025 - Delta Air Lines is reportedly finalizing a multi-aircraft order for Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, with the official announcement expected in late 2025 or early 2026. The airline plans to use the 787-10s—known for strong per-seat economics on trans-Atlantic and South American routes—to replace aging Boeing 767s as part of its long-haul fleet renewal. While Delta currently relies heavily on Airbus A350-900s, A350-1000s, A330-900neos, and A330-300s—all serving key long-haul markets—the new order would help diversify the supplier base and complement existing Airbus wide-body equipment. (Simple Flying)

L3Harris Unveils “Wolf Pack” Long Range Missiles to Counter China
July 17, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies introduced two new launched effects missiles—Red Wolf, a precision long range strike weapon, and Green Wolf, focused on electronic warfare and intelligence collection—each exceeding 200 nautical miles in range. Produced initially in Ashburn, Virginia, both systems benefit from “affordable mass” design philosophy, with full rate unit costs projected at ~$300,000—well below competing offerings from Lockheed Martin and RTX—and the Pentagon is evaluating purchases of around 1,000 per year. Over 40 successful test flights have been recorded as the company ramps up low rate production, reinforcing U.S. deterrence posture in the Pacific theater against Chinese advances. (Reuters)

Spirit AeroSystems Ltd. Belfast Unit Reports Record $506M Loss Amid Uncertain Takeover
July 17, 2025 - Spirit AeroSystems’ Belfast operations, trading as Short Brothers, posted a $506 million pre-tax loss in the year to Dec. 31, 2024, up from $338 million in 2023, with net liabilities soaring to nearly $1 billion, triggering serious doubts about its viability beyond September 2026 without new external funding. (Flight Global)

Airbus to Equip Kratos’ XQ-58A Valkyrie Drones for German Air Force
July 16, 2025 - Airbus has teamed up with U.S.-based Kratos Defense to integrate its mission system into Kratos’ rail launched XQ 58A Valkyrie unmanned collaborative combat aircraft. The deal will supply these armed “wingman” drones to the German Air Force, with deliveries planned by 2029. This transatlantic partnership enhances Germany’s aerial combat capabilities using advanced drone technologies. (Reuters)

Hyundai’s Supernal Startup Lays Off 53 Workers in California to Shift Toward Production
July 16, 2025 - Hyundai-backed Supernal has cut 25 jobs in Orange County and 28 more across the Bay Area and Mojave Desert as it pivots from flying taxi development toward manufacturing-scale production. The restructuring aligns with Supernal’s strategy to move beyond prototyping its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and scale up for commercial rollout. The layoffs are part of a broader effort to ready its California facilities for production-level work on flying taxis. (O.C. Register)

Lockheed Delivers 72 F-35 Jets After TR 3 Upgrade Delays
July 15, 2025 - Lockheed Martin delivered 72 F-35 Lightning II jets to the U.S. government as of May 1, 2025, after months of delays tied to the Technology Refresh 3 (TR 3) upgrade, which brings a new core processor, enhanced displays and open architecture software. (AeroTime)

Chances of Partner Joining UK-Italian-Japanese Fighter Jet Project Diminishing, BAE Executive Says
July 15, 2025 - The likelihood of a new country joining the UK Italian Japanese Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), known in Britain as Tempest, is "diminishing all the time,” according to Herman Claesen, managing director of BAE’s Future Combat Air System unit. (Reuters)

Rheinmetall Secures €70 Billion Order for 7,000 Armored Vehicles Amid European Rearmament
July 14, 2025 - Rheinmetall has secured a €70 billion contract to supply the Bundeswehr with up to 7,000 armored vehicles, including Leopard 2 tanks, Puma infantry fighting vehicles, and Boxer armored personnel carriers. This expansion is driven by the increased defense needs resulting from Russia's war in Ukraine. To meet demand, Rheinmetall is constructing ten new factories, primarily in Germany, and plans to increase its workforce from 40,000 to 70,000 employees. (Euromaidan Press)

Weekly Transaction Review

No.	Parties Involved	Transaction Metrics			Location	Segment
	Target [Parent] Acquirer [Parent]	Price ($M)	Price/ Revenue	Price/ EBITDA	Target	Target
1	Turner Aviation [Turner & Co.] Precision Aviation Group [GenNx360 Capital]	-	-	-	Glasgow, United Kingdom	MRO & Logistics
2	Precision Aerospace Corporation [TCW Group] Novaria Group [KKR]	-	-	-	Troy, OH	Machined & Cast Parts
3	Hudson Technologies [JSJ] PrecisionX Group [CORE Industrial]	-	-	-	Ormond Beach, FL	Machined & Cast Parts
4	Resilient Power Systems Eaton	-	-	-	Georgetown, TX	Defense Electronics
5	N23D Services Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems	-	-	-	Pembroke, PA	MRO & Logistics
6	Wärtsilä SAM Electronics [Wärtsilä] VINCI Energies [VINCI]	-	-	-	Hamburg, Germany	Navy/Maritime
7	Atlas Space Operations [Assured Space Access] York Space Systems [AE Industrial]	-	-	-	Traverse City, MI	Satellite, Satellite Services & Space Systems
8	Aerostructures business of Senior [Senior] Sullivan Street Partners	$268.6	0.7x	13.1x	Rickmansworth, United Kingdom	Machined & Cast Parts

No.	Target Descriptions
1	Turner Aviation is a provider of MRO services of aircraft generators, printers and Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) for private sector, U.S. federal government, and international government aerospace and defense markets. The company also provides aviation spares distribution services as well as manufactures and maintains components for industrial gas turbines.
2	Precision Aerospace Corporation develops and manufactures high performance fusible plugs and various wheel and brake systems components for private sector and U.S. federal government markets. Additional products engineered by the company include fittings, cylinder sleeves, spring guides, spring housings, swage balls, guide pins, hydraulic fittings, bleeder valves, complex valve assemblies and washers.
3	Hudson Technologies is a provider of specialty deep and shallow drawn stamping for private sector and U.S. federal government aerospace, defense, electronics, industrial, medical, and semiconductor markets. The company specializes in precision deep and shallow drawn stamping and progressive die stamping to manufacture metal enclosures, headers, diaphragms, and components.
4	Resilient Power Systems is a developer and manufacturer of solid-state transformer-based energy solutions for private sector and U.S. federal government defense and electric vehicle markets. The company's solid-state, plug-and-play technology mitigates the complexity of harnessing power from the grid by connecting directly to the existing distribution grid.
5	N23D is a provider of value-added FAA-PMA aftermarket gas cylinders for oxygen and compressed gas systems for private sector and U.S. federal government aerospace and defense markets. The company's cylinders are made from composites, steel, and titanium and are utilized for evacuation slides, oxygen, and pneumatics applications.
6	Wärtsilä SAM Electronics designs and develops maritime equipment components for private sector and international government markets. Products engineered by the company include advanced electric propulsion systems, shaft generators for economic power generation, shipborne automated monitoring and control systems, navigation and communication technologies, integrated vessel control systems, and entertainment as well as safety and security systems.
7	Atlas Space Operations is a provider of affordable cloud-based S, X, and UHF band coverage and telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) solutions for private sector and U.S. federal government defense and environmental markets.
8	The Aerostructures business of Senior is a manufacturer of precision-machined structural parts and subsystems, including ducts, supports, sensors, and thermal-management components, for commercial aerospace, defense, and space applications. The business operates multiple specialized facilities and supplies major OEMs.