Aerospace & Defense

APTIM Wins $145M Navy Fuel Infrastructure Engineering Contract

Baton Rouge, La. – September 16, 2026 -- APTIM has been selected for a $145 million Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Multiple Award Contract with the US Department of the Navy to provide Architect-Engineer services for Petroleum, Oils, and Lubricants (POL) systems worldwide, with work scheduled through August 2031.

NAVFAC EXWC awards APTIM engineering role covering global fuel infrastructure

The contract, administered by the Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC), covers engineering and design services for POL systems and supporting facilities at Navy and Marine Corps installations globally.

MSA Safety Launches A1X Vacuum Anchor, Cuts Weight 35% for Aircraft MRO

Pittsburgh – September 15, 2026 -- MSA Safety has launched the A1X, a next-generation WinGrip vacuum anchor that weighs 7 kg -- 35% lighter than its predecessor -- and cuts its diameter to 350 mm from 480 mm, aiming to speed up aircraft maintenance checks.

Redesigned pneumatics double anchoring positions per bottle

The A1X uses vacuum suction technology to create a non-invasive attachment point on aircraft wing surfaces, powered by refillable air or gas cylinders that generate the required negative pressure. A redesigned pneumatic system doubles the number of anchoring positions achievable with a single bottle, reducing how often technicians must carry replacement cylinders during time-critical checks.

IBM, NASA Open-Source Lunar AI Model Beating Rivals by 23%

Yorktown Heights, N.Y. – September 15, 2026 -- IBM and NASA released the open-source NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model, one of the first publicly available foundation models built for scientific exploration of the Moon, outperforming widely used detection methods by up to 23% in identifying craters, ice deposits and volcanic formations.

Model cuts ice-detection error by up to 22% versus baseline

The model reduced root-mean-square error in identifying areas with high potential for lunar ice by up to 22% compared with the SwinV2-B (ImageNet) benchmark, according to a technical paper authored by IBM and NASA researchers. Permanently shadowed lunar regions -- among the hardest environments to observe -- may hold subsurface ice, a resource NASA considers essential for a future Moon base and for producing rocket fuel for Mars missions.

Exiger Completes AI-Native Platform Rebuild, Backed by Carlyle, Insight, JMI

Washington – September 15, 2026 -- Exiger has compressed what was estimated as a three-year, $180 million platform overhaul into a four-month, $20 million sprint, launching an AI-native version of its 1Exiger supply chain and trade compliance platform with backing from Carlyle, Insight Partners, and JMI Equity.

Exiger's new AI development engine writes 95% of first-generation code

The company's AI product development lifecycle (AI-PDLC) automates each stage of software development, integrating with Exiger's secure CI/CD pipeline atop a proprietary dataset the firm describes as the largest in supply chain, defense, and corporate intelligence, spanning three trillion data points. CEO Brandon Daniels said the platform allows a team of a few hundred 'Experience Builders' and engineers to match output typically requiring 10,000 staff engineers at larger firms.

IBM, Lockheed Martin Bring First Quantum System Two to Switzerland

ZURICH – September 15, 2026 -- IBM and Lockheed Martin have established a quantum innovation hub at ETH Zurich under an offset agreement with armasuisse, Switzerland's Federal Office for Defence Procurement, bringing the country its first IBM Quantum System Two.

Swiss National Supercomputing Centre to host Switzerland's first Quantum System Two by end of 2026

The system will be installed at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano and powered by IBM's most advanced processor, the Quantum Nighthawk. IBM will operate the machine, while ETH Zurich provides expertise, resources and technologies to Swiss industries, startups and academia, including direct access to the hardware.

A&D M&A Surges: Q1 2026 Deal Value Hits $47.1B, Up 37% YOY

Boston – September 15, 2026 -- Aerospace & Defense M&A deal value jumped 37% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026 to $47.1 billion in disclosed enterprise value, according to Capstone Partners' annual Aerospace, Defense, Government & Security (ADGS) Industry M&A Report.

Full-year 2025 deal count rose 10.3% while disclosed enterprise value surged 73.1%

Aerospace & Defense M&A expanded throughout 2025 despite a volatile macroeconomic and geopolitical backdrop that dampened dealmaking elsewhere. Valuations averaged 3.0x EV/Revenue and 11.4x EV/EBITDA for the year, reflecting sustained buyer appetite across manufacturing, maintenance and leasing segments amid depressed aircraft production levels.

Radiance Technologies Wins Spot on $14B MSIC COMET Contract

Huntsville, Ala. – September 15, 2026 -- Radiance Technologies has secured a position as an awardee on the $14 billion Contract Operations for Missile Evaluation and Testing (COMET) Multi-Award Task Order Contract, extending its support of the Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC).

Contract spans a decade of military intelligence work

The COMET MATOC runs a 10-year period of performance from July 21, 2026 through January 1, 2037. Radiance will deliver research, development and sustainment services for hardware, software and systems underpinning military intelligence operations at MSIC, a component of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

MSA Safety Launches A1X Vacuum Anchor, Cuts Weight 35% for MRO Teams

Pittsburgh – September 14, 2026 -- MSA Safety has launched the A1X, a next-generation WinGrip vacuum anchor that weighs 7 kg, 35% lighter than its predecessor, and cuts the base diameter to 350 mm from 480 mm to speed up aircraft maintenance operations.

Redesigned pneumatic system doubles anchor repositioning per cylinder

The A1X uses rechargeable air or gas cylinders to generate suction force, creating a non-invasive anchor point on wing surfaces without damaging the aircraft. MSA redesigned the pneumatic system to double the number of anchor repositions available from a single cylinder, reducing the need for technicians to carry spare cylinders during time-sensitive line maintenance.

Garrett's Paragon Detector Completes UK NPSA Testing Process

Garland, Texas – September 15, 2026 -- Garrett Metal Detectors confirmed that its Paragon walk-through metal detector has completed testing under the UK National Protective Security Authority's Discriminative Metal Detection Systems Test Method, with results now publicly available on the NPSA website.

NPSA testing shows Paragon can screen non-divested individuals for mass casualty threats

The evaluation demonstrated the system's capability for screening individuals who have not removed items from pockets or bags, targeting weapons capable of causing mass casualties. NPSA stated it has confidence that Garrett followed its test method accurately, while clarifying the process is not pass/fail and does not constitute product endorsement.

Sparton, Logos Technologies Rebrand as Twenty-Six Defense Maritime

DeLeon Springs, Fla. – September 15, 2026 -- Sparton DeLeon Springs, LLC and Logos Technologies have combined operations under a new name, Twenty-Six Defense Maritime, marking a rebrand tied to the launch of parent company Twenty-Six Defense, formerly known as Elbit Systems of America.

Twenty-Six Defense emerges as 3,300-employee U.S. defense unit

Twenty-Six Defense, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, operates facilities across eight states and employs 3,300 people supporting the U.S. military. The entity is the American operating segment of Elbit Systems Ltd., a global defense technology company traded on NASDAQ and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker ESLT.