What Ace Aeronautics does

Ace Aeronautics is a privately held aerospace modifier headquartered in Guntersville, Alabama, with a manufacturing division (Ace DFW) in Grand Prairie, Texas, and a satellite office in Arlington, Texas. Founded in 2015–2016, the company specializes in cockpit and avionics upgrades for the UH-60/S-70 Black Hawk helicopter family, serving military and government aviation operators worldwide. Named end-customers include the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, the Republic of Austria Armed Forces, and the Brazilian Air Force.

The company's flagship product is the ACE DECK VL-60, an integrated flight deck built on the Garmin G5000H suite that pairs touchscreen flight management, vehicle management, and Synthetic Vision with a custom Cockpit Management Unit (CMU) to integrate tactical radios, EO/IR sensors, survivability equipment, and mission computing. It is the only commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) IFR and RNAV certified flight deck upgrade for the UH-60/S-70 family, supported by FAA Restricted Category Type Certificate R00005RC, Supplemental Type Certificates SR01944WI and SR01957WI, and Parts Manufacturing Approval PQ03906SW. Additional offerings include the Ace Aero HD EO/IR Sensor Mount, the UH-60 Blade Fold Kit, and a flying technology demonstrator (N60FW) used for validation. The company holds AS9100D and AS9110C quality certifications, FAA Part 145 Repair Station status (7GVR112D), and DDTC registration.

Ace Aeronautics generates revenue through one-time hardware sales of cockpit upgrade kits and airframe components, depot-level MRO on UH-60A/L helicopters, full-scope engineering services, experimental flight test, training and publications, and aircraft paint/media blast services. Distribution occurs through direct sales to foreign governments, GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract 47QRAA20D006L, the KRACEn Multiple Award Contract for U.S. Navy support, and a strategic partnership with Garmin for G5000H integration. The company executes over 250 contracts per year across U.S. Government and foreign customers.

Name

Ace Aeronautics

Legal name

Ace Aeronautics, LLC

Website

https://aceaero.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ace Aeronautics is a privately held aerospace integrator that develops and certifies the ACE DECK VL-60, the only COTS IFR/RNAV integrated flight deck upgrade for UH-60/S-70 Black Hawk helicopters, serving military and government aviation operators worldwide through Garmin partnership and FAA-certified hardware, MRO, and engineering services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Avionics

NAICS

Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro primary industry

Modification, Retrofit & Engineering (STC, Avionics Upgrades, Conversions) (TLAKAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Avionics Integration, Wiring Harnesses & Installation Kits (IMABAFAL), Commercial Airframe MRO (Heavy Checks & Structural) (IMABALAA)

Keywords

• Helicopter avionics upgrades
• Integrated flight deck
• UH-60 modernization
• Aerospace engineering services
• Military cockpit upgrades

Headquarters

HQ city

Guntersville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Avionics Integration Products: Commercial and military off-the-shelf (COTS/MOTS) products for fixed and rotary wing aircraft providing state-of-the-art system solutions. Includes ACE DECK VL-60 integrated flight deck upgrade kits and UH-60 Blade Fold Kits.
2. Engineering Services: Full-service contractor capabilities including system requirements documentation, component design, hardware fabrication, system installation, ground/flight test, and technical data generation.
3. Manufacturing and Components: Ace DFW manufacturing division produces airframe parts, night vision imaging (NVIS) lighting systems, and avionics integration kits. Executes over 250 contracts per year.
4. Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul: Depot-level maintenance support for UH-60A/L helicopters, including ability to purchase UH-60As from US Army and offer for sale with airframe options.
5. Training and Publications: New equipment training (NET) for aircrew and mechanics on Ace Deck VL-60, plus full technical publication support for H-60/S70 airframe.
6. Aircraft Paint and Media Blast Services: State-of-the-art 9,600 sq. ft. paint facility accommodating military, commercial and civilian aircraft up to CH-47 size.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ace Aeronautics designs, certifies, manufactures, and installs integrated cockpit and avionics upgrades for UH-60/S-70 Black Hawk helicopters and other transport-category fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. Its core product, the ACE DECK VL-60, is a Garmin G5000H-based integrated flight deck sold as a COTS upgrade kit, complemented by the Ace Aero HD Sensor Mount, UH-60 Blade Fold Kit, and full engineering, manufacturing, MRO, flight testing, training and paint services delivered through the Guntersville HQ and the Ace DFW division.

Product overview

Ace Aeronautics is a turnkey avionics integrator specializing in cockpit and airframe upgrades for commercial and military aviation operators worldwide. The company's primary product is the ACE DECK VL-60, an integrated flight deck built on the Garmin G5000H system, which is the only COTS IFR and RNAV certified flight deck upgrade for the UH-60/S-70 helicopter family. Related offerings include the ACEHAWK (the branded name for their G5000H-based upgrade kit), Ace Aero HD Sensor Mount for EO/IR sensors, and the UH-60 Blade Fold Kit. Ace Aeronautics also provides comprehensive engineering services, rapid prototyping, manufacturing (through Ace DFW division), qualification/certification support, experimental flight testing, maintenance/repair/overhaul, aircraft painting, and training/publications services. The company operates FAA Part 145 Repair Station #7GVR112D and holds multiple STCs and PMAs for their products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACE DECK VL-60 Integrated Flight Deck The ACE DECK VL-60 is an integrated flight deck upgrade built on the Garmin G5000H system for UH-60 A/L/V and S-70 helicopters. It features Garmin's touchscreen Flight Management System, Vehicle Management System, GTC 575 touchscreen controllers with 12.5-inch 4K UHD displays, Synthetic Vision Technology, and integrates tactical radios, map sensors, survivability equipment, and mission computing. It is the only COTS IFR and RNAV certified flight deck upgrade for the UH-60/S-70 helicopter family and is sold to military and government aviation operators worldwide.
• ACEHAWK G5000H Upgrade Kit ACEHAWK is Ace Aeronautics' brand name for the G5000H-based avionics upgrade kit for UH-60A/L and S-70 helicopters, incorporating the Garmin G5000H integrated flight deck and Avalex Technologies cockpit management unit. It is the commercial/brand identity for the same upgrade product family delivered under the ACE DECK VL-60 name.
• UH-60 Blade Fold Kit A lightweight 34-lb kit enabling rapid folding of UH-60 Black Hawk rotor blades in 8-12 minutes with small crews. Stows in a 56"x13"x13" duffel bag and utilizes existing fold kit attachments on the UH-60 tailboom without modification. Sold to military and commercial UH-60 operators.
• Ace Aero HD Sensor Mount FAA STC- and PMA-certified electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor nose mount designed for the UH-60/S-70 helicopter family, enabling integration of EO/IR sensors for reconnaissance and surveillance missions. Sold to military operators requiring sensor-equipped Black Hawks.
• Engineering Services Full-service avionics integration capabilities including system requirements documentation, system and component design, hardware fabrication, system installation, technical data generation, ground/flight test, and maintenance/pilot training for fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. Available to government and commercial customers under GSA MAS and direct contracts.
• Manufacturing (Ace DFW Division) Ace DFW in Grand Prairie, Texas produces airframe parts, night vision imaging system (NVIS) lighting systems, and avionics integration kits for military and commercial aircraft. Executes over 250 contracts per year for U.S. Government and foreign customers; specializes in design, fabrication, testing, and distribution of complex replacement and retrofit components.
• Qualification and Certification Services Airworthiness qualification support for the U.S. Army, OEMs, and government SETA support, including gap analysis between civil and military standards for cross-authority qualifications on H-60/S-70 and other platforms.
• Experimental Flight Test Services Experimental flight test services including acceptance test procedure development, formal test planning, instrumentation, engine assessment, aircraft performance evaluation, systems testing, and formal test reporting. Supports both internal R&D and customer qualification programs.
• Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul services including depot-level maintenance support for UH-60A/L helicopters conforming to ACE RCTC and PMI 1&2 specifications. Ace holds FAA Part 145 Repair Station certification and the ability to purchase UH-60As from U.S. Army and offer them for sale with airframe options.
• Aircraft Paint and Media Blast Services Aircraft paint and media blast facility (9,600 sq. ft.) accommodating fixed-wing aircraft up to 58 ft wingspan and rotary-wing aircraft up to CH-47 size, serving military, commercial, and civilian customers.
• Training and Publications New equipment training (NET) for rated and non-rated aircrew on the ACE DECK VL-60 digital cockpit, plus full technical publication support for H-60/S-70 airframes and mission equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Aircraft On Ground (AOG) part replacement within 48 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GarmincoreTechnology or IntegrationAce Aeronautics partners with Garmin to bring the G5000H integrated flight deck to the UH-60/S-70 family of helicopters. Garmin provides the core G5000H avionics suite while Ace integrates it with custom Cockpit Management Unit for tactical mission capabilities. This partnership enables Ace to offer the only G5000H-based integrated flight deck solution for Black Hawk helicopters. Garmin has been named #1 supplier of avionics components for 13 years in a row and provides 24/7/365 support with AOG part replacement within 48 hours.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• AAR Corp: AAR provides government aviation services including depot maintenance, modification, and avionics installation for rotorcraft fleets. Its government services segment competes for similar USAF, USN, and allied modernization contracts that Ace Aeronautics targets.

Direct peers

• Astronautics Corporation of America: Astronautics designs, certifies, and integrates avionics and flight deck upgrades for military and commercial rotorcraft. Like Ace, it works through STCs and partners with OEMs to deliver cockpit modernization kits to existing fleets, and it supplies similar high-reliability displays and mission computers for helicopter retrofits.
• StandardAero: StandardAero is a leading independent helicopter MRO and avionics upgrade provider serving S-92, UH-60, and other rotorcraft operators. It competes with Ace on avionics installations and maintenance services through its Vector Aerospace heritage.
• Universal Avionics (Elbit Systems): Universal Avionics, now part of Elbit Systems, produces integrated flight decks and FMS systems used in rotorcraft and fixed-wing cockpit upgrades. It follows the same STC-based retrofit model as Ace, certifying modern avionics into legacy airframes for both commercial and military operators.
• CMC Electronics: CMC Electronics supplies cockpit displays, flight management systems, and certified avionics for military and commercial helicopters. Like Ace, it specializes in FMS integration and certified retrofits and counts rotorcraft OEMs among its closest references.
• Genesys Aerosystems (Moog): Genesys Aerosystems, a Moog company, builds integrated flight decks (HelisAS, IDU-680) and autopilot systems for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft and ships them via STC retrofit programs. Its approach of pairing a third-party avionics core with STC-certified installations directly mirrors Ace's Garmin-G5000H-plus-CMU playbook.

Others

• Sikorsky (Lockheed Martin): Sikorsky is the OEM of the UH-60/S-70 Black Hawk family and provides its own modernization pathways for in-service aircraft. As the platform OEM, it sets the technical baseline that retrofitters like Ace must integrate against.

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell Aerospace: Honeywell is a major helicopter avionics supplier (e.g., Primus Epic, RDR-7000 weather radar) and offers cockpit modernization packages for rotorcraft. While not narrowly focused on UH-60 STCs, it represents the broader avionics incumbent that licensed Black Hawk platforms could evaluate.
• Collins Aerospace: Collins Aerospace (RTX) supplies avionics, flight controls, and cockpit integration services across military and commercial rotorcraft. It serves as the broad incumbent alternative to Garmin/Ace for integrated cockpit retrofits on transport-category platforms.

Emerging players

• Garmin International: Garmin is Ace's G5000H technology partner and the #1 avionics OEM for general aviation. It maintains overlapping avionics expertise and global AOG support, and a future strategic shift into direct retrofit sales or competing UH-60 solution would be the single biggest competitive threat to Ace's business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AceAeronautics

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ace Aeronautics