Boeing and American air taxi maker Archer Aviation have entered into definitive agreements in which Archer will acquire Boeing’s Wisk Aero, SkyGrid and Insitu subsidiaries.
The deal, as per the duo, will combine complementary capabilities developed over decades in autonomy, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – creating a groundbreaking end-to-end physical AI platform for aerospace and defense.
“Wisk, SkyGrid and Insitu have pioneered and incubated core autonomous flight technologies for the future that, in combination with Archer’s air taxi, UAS and AI technologies, will bring new and innovative solutions to the market. These companies, with nearly two million combined flight hours, are expected to bring a deep autonomy foundation to Archer’s ZEE artificial intelligence (AI) platform. This positions Archer to deliver an end-to-end physical AI platform across commercial aerospace, defense and air traffic management that can lead the next generation of aviation,” Boeing and Archer remarked.
Archer’s Founder and CEO, Adam Goldstein, said, “This is a watershed moment for Archer and the future of physical AI in aerospace and defense. This is the next big step forward in becoming a diversified platform, rapidly growing our revenue base and bringing scale to our business.”
“In conjunction with the transaction, Boeing and Archer are entering into a collaboration and technology-sharing arrangement through which Boeing will retain access to the Wisk core autonomous flight technology for its current and next-generation commercial and defense aircraft. The transaction allows Boeing to retain strategic upside through its stake in Archer and simultaneously focus current and future investments into Boeing’s core businesses,” Boeing and Archer said.
“This transaction is a win-win for Boeing and Archer,” said Brian Yutko, Boeing vice president, Commercial Airplanes Product Development.
“It allows Wisk, SkyGrid, and Insitu to accelerate capability development and time to market while ensuring Boeing capitalizes on its investments in these technologies over the past two decades through continued development in our core businesses. Having worked with the incredible teams in these companies firsthand, it’s clear this transaction will create an industry leader in the advanced aviation market. We look forward to collaborating with Archer to drive continued innovation in aerospace, defense, and autonomy,” he added further.
Talking about the subsidiaries going for strategic acquisition, Wisk has already designed, built and flown six generations of eVTOL aircraft, amassing 1,700+ flight tests.
Over the past 16 years, Wisk’s world-class team has developed unmatched autonomy capabilities powered by a next-gen flight-control computer, sensor suite, and radar system designed for certification in both civil and potential defense markets.
SkyGrid has developed a leading ground-based, aircraft-agnostic air traffic management solution that lays the digital groundwork for the future of automated airspace. SkyGrid enables safe integration, scalable automation, and coordinated traffic management that is necessary for commercialization across the aviation ecosystem.
Insitu is a pioneer in designing, developing, and manufacturing uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) used in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
“Its product portfolio spans high-performance, cost-effective, resilient, VTOL-capable UAS and AI-enabled software solutions. Insitu’s technologies have helped the armed forces of 35 nations make quicker, more informed decisions to bring warfighters home safely. With offices in the US, Australia, the UK, and the UAE, Insitu has manufactured and fielded more than 3,500 UAS and provides operations and support networks in every hemisphere of the globe,” Boeing said.
“The transaction remains subject to certain agreed-upon closing conditions, including expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and is expected to close by the end of 2026. Moelis & Company LLC is acting as financial advisor to Archer and Fenwick & West LLP, which is serving as outside counsel. JP Morgan Securities LLC is serving as financial advisor to Boeing, and Mayer Brown LLP is acting as outside counsel,” the Viation giant concluded.