What Applied Aerospace & Defense does

Applied Aerospace & Defense (NYSE: AADX) is a U.S.-based vertically integrated manufacturer of mission-critical structural and subsystem hardware for space, launch, and defense platforms. The company was formed in December 2025 by Greenbriar Equity Group through the merger of Applied Aerospace and PCX Aerosystems, with over 120 years of combined industry heritage, and was subsequently augmented by the acquisitions of NeXolve (March 2025), Vestigo Aerospace (February 2026), and Ultracor (March 2026). Headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, the company operates 11 production facilities spanning Alabama, Connecticut, California, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Washington, with more than 1.3 million square feet of manufacturing capacity and 1,300+ employees producing metallic, composite, and polymer hardware supporting over 90 aircraft types, 200 launch vehicles/spacecraft, and 2,250 subsystems.

The company's product portfolio spans three core segments: Space & Launch Systems (rocket motor cases, landing systems, deployable structures), Defense Aviation (fuselages, flight control surfaces, rotary wing components for Apache helicopters, engine shafts), and C5ISR & Precision Strike Systems (command, control, communications, and precision strike hardware). Distinctive technology assets include Spinnaker® drag sail deorbit systems acquired from Vestigo (enabling compliance with the FCC 5-Year Deorbit Rule and FAA 25-year upper-stage rule), Ultracor's specialty honeycomb core composite materials, a 17,792 sq ft solar sail capability developed under a $4.2M NOAA partnership, and an in-house anechoic RF testing chamber (28x32x20 ft, 1.7-50 GHz) in Huntsville. The company holds supplier excellence awards from Northrop Grumman and RTX, plus a Collier Award for NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission.

The business model is anchored in direct B2B sales to U.S. government agencies and defense prime contractors through government procurement (RFPs, sole-source contracts), with approximately 83% of revenue derived from U.S. government contracts. Revenue mechanics are project-based hardware deliveries with no public pricing; the FY2025 revenue was $498.8 million (24.8% YoY growth), Q1 2026 revenue reached $134.4 million (21% YoY), adjusted EBITDA was $117.9 million, and contract backlog approaches $1.1 billion against $1.02 billion in total indebtedness. The company completed a $650 million IPO on June 3, 2026 at a $3.25 billion market capitalization, with Greenbriar Equity Group retaining approximately 81% ownership.

Name

Applied Aerospace & Defense

Legal name

Applied Aerospace & Defense

Website

https://applied-aerospace.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Ipo

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Applied Aerospace & Defense is a Huntsville-based vertically integrated manufacturer of mission-critical structural and subsystem hardware for space, launch, and defense platforms, serving U.S. government agencies and defense prime contractors from 11 U.S. facilities across six states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing

NAICS

Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (3364), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)

SIC

Aircraft & Parts (3720), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Military Aircraft Structures, Airframes & Composites (IMABAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Military Aerospace Engines & Propulsion (IMABAMAD), Aerospace Landing Gear Components & Subsystems (IMABANAK), Aerospace Interior Materials & Components (Cabin) (IMABANAI)

Keywords

• Aerospace structural components
• Defense manufacturing services
• Space launch hardware
• Composite honeycomb materials
• Deployable space systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Defense Contracts: Approximately 83% of revenue derives from U.S. government contracts, including sole-source and single-source defense contracts. Revenue from space, defense aviation, and C5ISR/precision strike systems.
2. Commercial Aerospace Manufacturing: Manufacturing of precision hardware for commercial and defense technology firms including fuselages, flight control surfaces, solid rocket motor cases, and engine shafts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Applied Aerospace & Defense designs, engineers, and manufactures flight-critical structural hardware for space, launch, and defense applications. Its offerings span space and launch systems, defense aviation structures, C5ISR and precision strike components, deployable deorbit systems, composite and honeycomb core materials, and RF testing services, delivered through nine vertically integrated U.S. production facilities.

Product overview

Applied Aerospace & Defense is an advanced manufacturer of mission-critical flight, space, and defense hardware systems serving three core markets: Space & Launch Systems, Defense Aviation, and C5ISR & Precision Strike. The company operates as a unified platform formed through the merger of Applied Aerospace and PCX Aerosystems (December 2025), enhanced by strategic acquisitions including Vestigo Aerospace (Spinnaker® Deorbit Systems for satellite debris mitigation) and Ultracor (honeycomb core composite materials). The portfolio includes metallic, composite, and polymer manufacturing capabilities across 11 U.S. facilities with over 1.3 million square feet of production space, supporting over 90 aircraft types, 200 launch vehicles and spacecraft, and 2,250 critical subsystems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spinnaker Deorbit Systems: Drag sail technology for satellite and launch vehicle deorbit to comply with FCC and FAA orbital debris regulations.

Products and services

• Spinnaker® Deorbit Systems

Quantifiable outcome

• Deorbit satellites within 5 years from altitudes up to 800 km
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• NOAAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026$4.2 million project to develop the largest solar sail ever manufactured (17,792 sq ft) for space weather prediction. Joint demonstration mission called Space Storm Solar Sail Sentinel (S5) under exploration.
• Commercial Space FederationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2025Applied Aerospace joined as founding member of Space Supply Chain Council, supporting industry collaboration and supply chain development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HEICO Corporation: HEICO supplies FAA-approved aircraft parts (PMA) and defense electronics, mirroring Applied Aerospace's model of providing specialty replacement and OEM components to aerospace and defense customers. Its PMA and electronic technologies segments are highly comparable to Applied Aerospace's parts business.
• Ducommun Incorporated: Ducommun manufactures engineered products and structural assemblies for aerospace and defense, including flight control surfaces and aerostructures — directly overlapping with Applied Aerospace's Defense Aviation segment. Both companies serve the same defense primes with similar composite and metal-bonded assemblies.
• Triumph Group: Triumph designs, engineers, manufactures, and supports aerospace structures, systems, and components — directly comparable to Applied Aerospace's Defense Aviation and aerostructures work. Both companies serve defense primes with complex mechanical and structural assemblies across military and commercial platforms.
• Mercury Systems: Mercury provides mission-critical processing subsystems and RF/microwave technologies for C5ISR and defense applications, directly comparable to Applied Aerospace's C5ISR & Precision Strike segment and new RF testing facility. Both companies serve defense primes with high-mix, low-volume mission electronics.
• Curtiss-Wright Corporation: Curtiss-Wright provides engineered products, systems, and services for defense, commercial and industrial markets, including aerospace structures, C5ISR hardware, and naval systems. Its diversified defense portfolio with high engineered-content components is highly comparable to Applied Aerospace's three-segment model.
• TransDigm Group: TransDigm is a leading designer, producer, and supplier of highly engineered aerospace components, with a similar sole-source business model and high-margin mission-critical product portfolio. It serves the same commercial and military aerospace primes and pursues a comparable value-added acquisition strategy.
• Moog Inc. Moog is a precision motion-control and components supplier to aerospace and defense primes, with comparable capabilities in flight control actuators, engine components, and space hardware. Its mission-critical, sole-source product mix and government revenue exposure align closely with Applied Aerospace.

Emerging players

• Rocket Lab USA: Rocket Lab designs and manufactures small launch vehicles and spacecraft components, overlapping with Applied Aerospace's Space & Launch segment. Both companies are scaling vertically integrated space hardware manufacturing and serve commercial and government launch customers.

Broad incumbents

• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: Kratos is a diversified defense and space systems provider offering unmanned aerial systems, space and satellite products, and C5ISR solutions. It is a customer of Applied Aerospace (per select_customers) and a broader incumbent in the same defense and space markets.
• Spirit AeroSystems: Spirit is one of the largest aerostructures manufacturers globally, supplying fuselages, wings, and propulsion structures to Boeing and Airbus. While larger and focused on commercial OEM structures, its technology and customer relationships overlap with Applied Aerospace's airframe component business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/applied_ad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/applied-aerospace-defense

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A4 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Applied Aerospace & Defense