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Airbus Delivers 100th A220 from Mobile Facility, Marking Milestone for Alabama’s Aerospace Industry
July 27, 2025 - Airbus has rolled out its 100th A220 aircraft from its U.S. final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, delivering the milestone jet to Breeze Airways and highlighting the rapid growth of the site. The Mobile operation—launched in August 2019 with a dedicated final assembly line opened in 2020—now supports over 2,000 jobs and plays a central role in Alabama’s aerospace sector, reinforcing the state’s expanding industrial footprint. The A220, originally developed by Bombardier and rebranded by Airbus in 2018, is celebrated for fuel efficiency, passenger comfort, and versatility and has become increasingly popular with U.S. carriers like Delta, JetBlue and Breeze. (Yellow Hammer News)
July 27, 2025 - Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed that deliveries to Chinese airlines, which had been paused due to U.S.–China tariff escalations, are set to resume in June, with Boeing already reallocating completed jets originally intended for China to other global customers. (Reuters)
July 26, 2025 - The U.S. State Department has issued a $4 billion loan guarantee under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program to enable Poland to acquire American-made defense systems. This brings total U.S. loan and guarantee support to over $11 billion since 2022, funding purchases including Patriot air-defense batteries, HIMARS rocket systems, Apache helicopters, and F 35 aircraft integration. Warsaw, currently allocating 4.7% of its GDP to defense in 2025, plans to increase this to 5% in 2026, signaling its intensified commitment to NATO’s eastern flank security amid ongoing regional tensions. (Reuters)
Belgium Reconsiders Role in FCAS After Dassault CEO Criticizes F-35 Purchase
July 25, 2025 - Belgium is reviewing its bid to become a full partner in the European Future Combat Air System (FCAS) after Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier sharply criticized the country’s decision to buy 11 U.S.-made F-35A fighters despite investing €300 million in the project. Trappier argued that full FCAS participation should reflect a firm commitment to European defense industry and claimed countries should not benefit from FCAS contracts while purchasing American-made jets. In response, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken dismissed the comments as arrogant, emphasizing Belgium’s foundational role in NATO and the EU and indicating the government will reassess its FCAS involvement. (Reuters)
Boeing Benefits from Trump’s Trade Diplomacy with EU and Japan Deals
July 25, 2025 - According to The New York Times, Boeing has emerged as a central beneficiary of President Trump’s trade agreements, including a recent EU U.S. aerospace tariff exemption that preserves zero tariffs on aircraft, engines, and parts, plus a Japan deal involving the purchase of 100 Boeing planes as part of broader trade and investment concessions. The article explains that Trump has leveraged Boeing’s status as a major exporter in diplomatic negotiations with countries like Indonesia, the U.K., Indonesia, and Japan, helping secure aircraft orders in exchange for tariff relief and market access. Analysts note these trade linked aircraft deals are driving Boeing’s backlog growth, bolstering its recovery amid earlier regulatory and operational challenges, though critics argue Boeing’s gains stem more from its trade value than presidential favoritism. (The New York Times)
Warburg Pincus and Berkshire Partners Complete $3 B Take Private of Triumph Group
July 24, 2025 - Private equity firms Warburg Pincus and Berkshire Partners have officially closed their acquisition of Triumph Group, Inc., turning the aerospace and defense components supplier into an independent privately-held company valued at approximately $3 billion, with shareholders receiving $26 per share in cash, a sizeable premium over previous trading levels. (PR Newswire)
FAA to Review Boeing’s Supply Chain Before Approving 737 MAX Production Increase
July 24, 2025 - FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford confirmed that Boeing has not yet requested the lifting of the current 38 aircraft per month cap on 737 MAX output and said any decision to raise it will require a comprehensive review of Boeing's entire supply chain, including supplier quality controls and workforce safety culture. (Reuters)
Troubled SPAC to Take iRocket Public at $400M Despite Near Zero Cash Reserves
July 23, 2025 - iRocket (Innovative Rocket Technologies Inc.), founded in 2018, is set to go public through a merger with Wilbur Ross backed SPAC BPGC Acquisition Corp. in a deal valuing the company at $400 million, even though the SPAC holds just about $1.6 million after returning nearly all its IPO proceeds to investors following failed deals. (Tech Crunch)
West's Surge in Missile Demand Boosts U.S. Weapons Makers
July 23, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal reports that surging global demand for missiles prompted by conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and U.S. stockpiling in the Indo-Pacific is significantly benefiting U.S. defense firms like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon (RTX), and Northrop Grumman. Lockheed’s missile business saw an 11% revenue increase, Raytheon an 8% rise, while Lockheed received a U.S. Army request to quadruple PAC 3 missile production, and Raytheon’s backlog now stands at $63.5 billion. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman plans to nearly double rocket motor output by 2029, and European firms including MBDA and Kongsberg are also reporting robust order books as nations seek both interceptors and offensive munitions. (The Wall Street Journal)
Boeing Sends Contract Offer with 20% Raises and $5,000 Bonus to IAM Members
July 23, 2025 - Boeing extended a contract proposal to over 3,200 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 837, who assemble fighter jets in the St. Louis/Mascoutah area, offering a 20% general wage increase over four years, a $5,000 ratification bonus, plus additional vacation and sick leave. (Reuters)
Collins Aerospace Expanding in Richardson with $57 Million Investment and 570 Jobs
July 23, 2025 - Collins Aerospace, a division of RTX, will invest $57 million to renovate and expand two existing facilities in Richardson, Texas, supporting two federal contracts and boosting its manufacturing and R&D operations. Backed by a $3.7 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant and a $1.8 million incentive package from the City of Richardson, the expansion is expected to create 570 high-wage jobs in aerospace technology. Texas Governor Greg Abbott hailed the project as reinforcing the state’s leadership in aerospace, while executives noted that state and city support made the decision to expand nearby offices a clear choice. (Dallas News)
Turkey Nears Deal for Up to 40 Eurofighter Typhoons, Boosting BAE Systems
July 23, 2025 - Turkey and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding at the IDEF defense expo in Istanbul, allowing Ankara to acquire up to 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets—produced by a consortium including BAE Systems, Airbus, and Leonardo—after Germany dropped its previous export veto via approval from its federal security council. (Reuters)
Thales Lifts 2025 Sales Growth Forecast to 6–7% on Strong Defense Momentum
July 22, 2025 - Thales reported robust first-half 2025 results, with sales rising by 8.1% to €10.27 billion and adjusted operating profit increasing 12.7% to €1.25 billion, fueled by strong performance in its Defense and Aerospace segments. (Reuters)
Northrop Fully Resumes Sentinel ICBM, Negotiates Accelerated B 21 Production
July 22, 2025 - Northrop Grumman has officially lifted the pause on the LGM 35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program’s Command and Launch segment following a major cost and schedule breach; the company and U.S. Air Force have agreed on a restructured program baseline and resumed work on silo design and missile facilities. (Air & Space Forces)
Lockheed Posts $1.6 B Loss in Q2 Largely from Classified Aeronautics Program
July 22, 2025 - Lockheed Martin reported a $1.6 billion pre-tax loss in Q2 2025, driven chiefly by a $950 million write-down on a fixed-price classified aircraft program within its Aeronautics division that suffered design, integration, and testing setbacks. Additional losses included $570 million tied to Canada’s maritime helicopter program and $95 million on Turkey’s utility helicopter program, with a further $66 million write-off linked to the U.S. Air Force’s Next Gen fighter initiative. Revenue reached $18.16 billion (roughly flat year over year), while net income plunged to $342 million ($1.46 per share), prompting Lockheed to slash its full year EPS guidance to $21.70–22.00, down from prior projections of $27–27.30. (Breaking Defense)
Safran Finalizes Acquisition of Collins Aerospace Flight Controls Business
July 21, 2025 - Safran has completed its acquisition of Collins Aerospace’s flight control and actuation business, a unit valued at $1.8 billion, which generated approximately $1.55 billion in revenue and $130 million in EBITDA during 2024, now employing around 4,000 staff across eight sites in Europe and Asia, to be integrated into Safran Electronics & Defense from August 1, 2025. (Reuters)
Brazil Planemaker Embraer Ends Q2 with Record $29.7 Billion Backlog
July 21, 2025 - Brazilian aerospace firm Embraer reported that its firm order backlog reached $29.7 billion at the close of Q2 2025, representing a 40% year on year increase, according to its securities filings. The backlog breakdown includes $13.1 billion in commercial jets (up 16%), $7.4 billion in executive jets (up 62%), $4.9 billion from services/support, and $4.3 billion in defense. In the same quarter, Embraer delivered 61 aircraft, up 30% from Q2 2024, bolstered by growth across all segments. (Yahoo Finance)
Boeing’s Wisk Aero Plans Autonomous Air Taxi Service in U.S. Cities by 2030
July 21, 2025 - Wisk Aero, Boeing’s air taxi subsidiary, aims to launch fully autonomous, pilot-free eVTOL flights in Houston, Los Angeles and Miami by 2030, deploying its sixth-generation four-seat air taxi designed without onboard flight controls. (Smart Cities Dive)
Air Force to Buy Up to 75 More KC 46 Tankers, Skipping New Competition
July 21, 2025 - The U.S. Air Force approved a “KC 46A Production Extension” program to acquire up to 75 additional KC 46 Pegasus aerial refueling tankers from Boeing, foregoing a planned competition with Airbus and others for its next tanker buildup phase and extending production under the current contract. (Air & Space Forces)
Anduril Wins $99.6M U.S. Army Contract to Build Next Gen C2 Ecosystem
July 21, 2025 - The U.S. Army has awarded Anduril Industries a $99.6 million Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract to lead a consortium of tech partners including Palantir, Striveworks, Govini, Instant Connect Enterprise, Research Innovations, Inc., and Microsoft to develop a prototype Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) architecture for the 4th Infantry Division within 11 months. (Defense News)
General Atomics Joins European “Loyal Wingman” Race After Kratos, Anduril
July 21, 2025 - U.S. defense company General Atomics announced plans to produce a European variant of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) based on the YFQ 42A prototype, with final assembly and integration of European mission systems handled by its German affiliate, General Atomics Aerotec Systems GmbH near Munich. (The Defense Post)
