Boeing and Archer Aviation have agreed to a deal in which Archer will acquire Boeing's Wisk Aero, SkyGrid and Insitu subsidiaries, in exchange for nearly 20% of the Archer's Class A stock.
The deal will combine complementary capabilities in autonomy, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
Wisk, SkyGrid and Insitu, with nearly two million combined flight hours, are expected to bring a deep autonomy foundation to Archer's ZEE artificial intelligence platform. This positions Archer to deliver what it called an "end-to-end physical AI platform across commercial aerospace, defense and air traffic management."
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.
"This transaction is a win-win for Boeing and Archer," said Brian Yutko, Boeing's vice president of 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."
About the companies:
- Wisk has designed, built and flown six generations of eVTOL aircraft, amassing more than 1,700 flight tests. Over the past 16 years, Wisk's team has developed autonomy capabilities powered by a flight-control computer, sensor suite, and radar system designed for certification in both civil and potential defense markets.
- SkyGrid has built a ground-based, aircraft-agnostic air traffic management solution that establishes the digital foundation 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 specializes in designing, developing and manufacturing uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) used in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Its product portfolio spans 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 U.S., 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.
