Joby Aviation announced it was acquiring Dayton, Ohio-based defense firm Resonant Sciences in a $500 million deal, in a bid by the electric aircraft company to expand further into the military industrial complex.
Joby says it expects to finance the deal with $450 million in cash and $50 million in equity. After the deal closes, which is expected in early 2027, Resonant will continue its existing work as Joby's dedicated defense division, the company said. The commercial division will remain focused on air taxis, the first of which are expected to launch later this year.
The deal is the latest example of the fledgling electric aviation in …
On the evening of August 10, 2026, a MiG-29 fighter jet operated by the Ukrainian Air Force was lost while carrying out a combat mission. This was reported on the official Facebook page of the Ukrainian Air Force Command. It was reported that the pilot was carrying out a combat mission to destroy enemy aerial […]
Archer Aviation is buying three of Boeing’s aerospace subsidiaries: autonomous air-taxi developer Wisk Aero, military drone maker Insitu, and airspace-software firm SkyGrid. The deal also hands Boeing a stake in Archer.
Investors loved it. Archer (ACHR) stock jumped more than 20% on Monday, and the acquisition instantly turns a pre-revenue eVTOL startup into a company with a profitable defense business behind it.
Quelques nuages de plus, une éclaircie en moins ou un vent différent auraient pu modifier le destin de centaines de milliers de personnes. En août 1945, la météo a été un facteur décisif pour le largage de la première bombe atomique sur la population.
Bell Textron has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of the Navy with an estimated value of approximately $300 million. The agreement was signed in August 2026 at Bell’s manufacturing facility in Amarillo, Texas. The contract combines fixed-price, fixed-price incentive, and cost-reimbursement elements with fixed-fee provisions. The base contract, with options for extension […]
A security alert was declared at Leipzig/Halle Airport on the night of Wednesday following a potential security threat. Shortly before midnight, a drone was discovered near the runway. According to BILD, the drone was attached to an unidentified substance. Investigators were particularly concerned because it was also fitted with a detonator. The device was subsequently […]
France continues flight testing of the Airbus H160M Guépard, its next-generation multirole military helicopter. On July 31, the program reached another milestone as the second prototype completed its maiden flight. The first prototype has been in the air since July 24, 2025. The H160M is being developed for the French Armed Forces under the HIL (Hélicoptère […]
The recent announcement by the Ukrainian Army Aviation Command identifying the UH-60 Black Hawk as the preferred future helicopter for Army Aviation brigades has sparked debate among defense analysts over the merits of this decision and the potential alternatives. Today, we take a closer look at one such alternative – the Italian-built Leonardo AW149 multirole helicopter. Development […]
Russia has reportedly lost another aircraft following an aviation accident in Krasnodar Region. According to reports circulating online, the aircraft involved was an L-39 jet trainer. The incident was first reported by the Russian military blogger Fighterbomber on his Telegram channel. Few details have been released so far, although he claimed that the crew had […]
For six decades, aspiring U.S. Air Force fighter pilots have completed advanced jet training in the supersonic Northrop T-38 Talon before transitioning to frontline combat aircraft. During that time, several generations of fighters have entered service: the third-generation F-4 Phantom II gave way to the fourth-generation F-16 Fighting Falcon, while today the Air Force is […]
A new day brings new losses. Russian Telegram channels are reporting that a military aircraft has crashed several kilometers from the town of Zvenigorod in Russia’s Moscow region. According to preliminary reports, the aircraft may have been a Su-57, the only fifth-generation fighter currently in service with the Russian military. According to the Telegram channel Astra, […]
I recently covered the Turkish Hürjet trainer-light attack aircraft, whose first export customer turned out to be Spain. But four decades earlier, Spain had nearly developed an aircraft of the same class itself. The project, known as the CASA AX, appeared to be a realistic proposition. So why did the Spanish effort ultimately fail? Concept […]
Textron Aviation Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Inc., has announced that the clean-sheet single-engine turboprop Beechcraft Denali has entered the final stages of its flight testing program. The Denali development program remains on schedule, with completion of all flight tests planned for October 2026. Once testing is complete, Textron Aviation will submit the final certification […]
Electra is putting $850 million into its first aircraft factory, and it picked Springfield, Ohio to build the EL9 Ultra Short, its nine-passenger hybrid-electric plane that can take off in as little as 150 feet.
The plant will eventually build up to 800 aircraft a year and create nearly 2,000 jobs, the company said Tuesday. That’s a big commitment for a plane that hasn’t flown yet.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has carried out another successful special operation, resulting in the destruction of a Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber. At the time of the strike, the aircraft was stationed at Engels Air Base in Russia’s Saratov region. According to a statement published on the SBU’s official Facebook page, the bomber had […]
In June of this year, the J-8 was officially phased out of service – the first jet fighter designed in China and accepted into operational use. Its path toward full maturity was long, but ultimately remained unfinished. How It All Began By the early 1960s, China had established licensed production of Soviet-designed jet fighters, including […]
Bell announced the completion of wing structures for the first two MV-75 Cheyenne II tiltrotor aircraft being built for the U.S. Army. The milestone marks another step in the production of the initial batch of eight test aircraft, six of which are already at various stages of assembly. Following systems integration, the wings will be […]
Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) pioneer Archer Aviation has confirmed that it is on track to perform Team USA transport duty during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, aboard its Midnight aircraft.
In an email to The Debrief, a company spokesperson said Archer was selected as the Official Air Taxi Provider of the LA28 Olympic Games and Team USA, marking a historic first in the quest for commercial eVTOL operations before the end of the decade.
“Through this exclusive partnership, the two will look to integrate Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft across theLA28 Games in a variety of ways, such as transporting VIPs, fans, and stakeholders, while electrifying vertiport take-off-and-landing hubs for key venues and providing support for emergency services and security,” a company spokesperson explained.
Archer CEO Announces ‘Progress’ Including Upcoming Midnight eVTOL Test Flight in 8 US Cities
Archer Aviation founder and CEO Adam Goldstein recently shared more specific updates about the company’s road to the Olympics and eventually government approval, noting that “we made tremendous progress towards beginning operations in the US later this year, with record FAA certification progress and our most expansive flight testing to date.”
Goldstein also highlighted the company’s recent winning applications to begin pre-certification test flights of Midnight in 8 US states later this year, including New York, Florida, and Texas. According to the CEO, those test flights are part of the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), “which was unlocked through the White House’s Executive Order in June last year.”
“Archer expects Midnight operations in American cities to begin this year as part of the White House’s eIPP and in preparation to serve as the Official Air Taxi Provider of the LA28 Olympic Games, in coordination with the DOT and FAA,” the CEO explained, adding that the two benchmarks “pave the way for Archer to showcase its air taxi technology in parallel with its continued work toward FAA Type Certification for Midnight.”
Six Independently Operating Engines Produce Over 1,500 Horsepower, Last 10,000 Flight Cycles
When asked about the technical aspects that have put Midnight on course to become the first commercial eVTOL air taxi provider in the U.S., the company spokesperson first noted that their aircraft are “designed and manufactured” domestically, which can shorten development timelines and improve quality control. This includes focusing the team’s research and development on what the company termed “differentiating technologies,” including the pioneering aircraft’s unique powertrain.
“Our world-class in-house team, coming with experience from Apple, Tesla, SpaceX and beyond, contribute to our efficient and certifiable electric propulsion design,” the company told The Debrief.
Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft are designed and tested in the United States, reducing quality control issues and increasing design turnaround times. Image Credit: Archer Aviation.
Some of the differentiating technologies the team said set it apart from the competition include rapid charging, long-lasting battery packs “and the capability of >1500 horsepower.” They also note that Midnight’s high-performance battery cells, patented high-voltage architecture, and gearbox are designed to operate reliably for roughly 10,000 “flight cycles” before the vehicle’s battery pack needs replacement.
“We are optimized for electric flight,” the company told The Debrief.
Due to the potential risks in premiering a new vehicle platform, with Archer Aviation telling The Debrief that “eVTOL aircraft are the first new category of aviation in more than 60 years,” the company said Midnight is built as a ‘fly-by-wire’ system, reducing the number of mechanical components that can fail. The company also said that each of Midnight’s engines operates independently “allowing for high levels of redundancy and safety.”
Although the current version of the Midnight eVTOL aircraft is flown by a human pilot, the company told The Debrief that it is “continuing to build the technology stack” required for its longer-term goal of a fully autonomous eVTOL aircraft.
Company Anticipating Final FAA Approval “in the Near Future”
With the 2028 Summer Olympics just two years away, the company said it has transitioned out of a successful Phase 3 of the FAA’s 4-phase Type Certification process, an industry first, and has “already been advancing its work in Phase 4 for some time now.”
“This is where Midnight’s compliance with FAA airworthiness requirements will be demonstrated through formal testing and analysis,” the company told The Debrief.
In his address to shareholders, Goldstein said the company’s flight test program “continued to expand this quarter.” The CEO said this expansion includes piloted VTOL and CTOL flights across its expanded fleet of test aircraft “occurring nearly every day, often multiple times a day.”
Archer Aviation has recently taken over operations at Hawthorne Airport with goals of creating the airport of the future.
To expedite the testing phases leading up to the 2028 Olympics, the company recently took over operations of Hawthorne Airport in Los Angeles County. Goldstein said the move will help Archer develop the local airstrip “into the airport of the future.”
“Located near LAX and several major LA sports and entertainment venues, Hawthorne Airport is expected to anchor Archer’s planned LA air taxi operations while also serving as an innovation hub for next-generation aviation technologies,” the CEO explained.
When asked how soon the company expects to fulfill the FAA’s Phase 4 requirements and gain full certification, the spokesperson told The Debrief that Archer is in the final stages of the process, “and is anticipating approval in the near future.” However, the company also added that their focus is on building a safe, high-performance aircraft, and that once they can demonstrate the safety and versatility of Midnight, “it is the FAA’s job to certify it.”
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.
Recently, the Turkish aviation industry has been undergoing rapid development. In addition to an exceptionally broad range of unmanned aerial vehicles and several types of helicopters (I recently wrote about one of them – the T625 Gökbey), it is establishing production of the Hürjet jet-powered advanced trainer and light combat aircraft, while also conducting flight […]
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