It’s not often a budget line item tells you where the world is headed.
But when the U.S. Department of Defense requests $66 billion in IT spending for fiscal 2026 — up $1.8 billion from the prior year — and places artificial intelligence at the top of the priority list across every service branch, it signals something bigger than an incremental upgrade cycle. It signals a strategic shift.
At the same time, industry forecasters are projecting the global AI in defense and aerospace market could expand from $4.2 billion to $42.8 billion by 2036—a tenfold increase powered by autonomous systems and real-time intelligence processing.
Against that backdrop, five companies operating at the intersection of aerospace, AI, and national security are drawing attention: Starfighters Space (NYSE American: FJET), Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR), AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV), Redwire (NYSE: RDW), and V2X (NYSE: VVX).
The broader playing field is expanding too. The global space economy reached $626 billion in 2025 and is projected to surpass $1 trillion by 2034, with defense and sovereignty emerging as the dominant growth engines.
Meanwhile, NASA continues building the knowledge base needed for long-duration missions: ISS crew members are conducting real-time cardiovascular monitoring and psychological assessments aimed at preparing humans for deeper spaceflight.
In other words: the intelligence stack is rising, the operational demands are growing, and the aerospace layer is becoming more strategic by the quarter.
Starfighters Space (NYSE American: FJET): From wind tunnel validation to Critical Design Review
Starfighters Space recently announced it is moving forward to a Critical Design Review (CDR) for STARLAUNCH 1, with support from GE Aerospace. The purpose of the CDR is to confirm design maturity and support the program’s transition into its next phase of build and test planning.
In aerospace development, a CDR functions as a structured milestone—an integrated, detailed review of the system’s design—before a program proceeds to full-scale fabrication, integration, and formal test execution. In this case, the review will evaluate design documentation for the launch vehicle and its interfaces with the carrier aircraft, emphasizing configuration control, manufacturability, verification plans, and test readiness.
The CDR milestone builds on Starfighters’ recently completed subsonic and supersonic wind tunnel testing for STARLAUNCH 1. The testing demonstrated clean separation behavior at Mach 0.85 and Mach 1.3 across ten successful runs, with results showing strong agreement between computational fluid dynamics predictions and experimental data. The company has also initiated procurement of instrumented drop test articles to evaluate separation dynamics under actual flight conditions.
“We execute StarLaunch as a series of practical, documented steps to space,” said Tim Franta, Director and VP Development at Starfighters. “A critical design review is where we confirm that the design is ready for the next phase. Our team is dedicated and focused on the mission, and we are staying disciplined as we progress STARLAUNCH 1.”
GE Aerospace support and a supersonic test campaign from Kennedy Space Center
GE Aerospace has supported Starfighters’ StarLaunch development through prior engineering work and flight test activities, including a recent supersonic flight test campaign carrying an advanced propulsion test vehicle during three captive carry missions from Kennedy Space Center. That work supports GE Aerospace’s Atmospheric Test of Launched Air-breathing System (ATLAS) program, focused on advancing solid fuel ramjet propulsion technology, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense under Title III of the Defense Production Act.
STARLAUNCH 1 is being developed as a sub-orbital vehicle designed to support short-duration microgravity missions, serving as a pathfinder for future air-launched concepts. In parallel, Starfighters’ validated separation work supports its broader aerospace testing services, including programs requiring clean separation for advanced and hypersonic vehicle testing.
The company also states it operates the only commercial fleet in the free world capable of carrying underwing test payloads at speeds greater than Mach 2 (more than 1,500 mph)—positioning its F-104 platform as a high-performance testbed for both government and commercial partners.
Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR): NVIDIA compute, aviation AI, and “autonomy-ready” controls
Archer Aviation recently announced plans to develop and deploy next-generation AI technologies for aviation using the NVIDIA IGX Thor platform. At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Archer unveiled three core development areas:
• Real-time sensor fusion for enhanced pilot situational awareness
• Predictive health monitoring for proactive aircraft system maintenance
• Autonomy-ready flight controls pairing IGX Thor computing architecture with Archer’s proprietary avionics and control software to support future autonomous and semi-autonomous operations
“CES has always been a launchpad for technologies that reshape industries, so we’re proud to announce our AI collaboration with NVIDIA here,” said Adam Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Archer Aviation. “NVIDIA’s AI compute capabilities and software stack give us the foundation to accelerate toward safer, smarter aircraft systems and modernize how aviation interfaces with the world’s airspace.”
The company is developing Midnight, a piloted electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft intended for commercial urban air mobility. Archer holds FAA Part 135 air carrier certification and has secured commercial launch agreements with partners including United Airlines and Soracle, targeting initial commercial operations in select U.S. metro markets.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV): AI-accelerated materials and biotech work under a $75M Air Force task order
AeroVironment recently received a $75 million task order from the U.S. Air Force to advance biotechnology and smart materials under the Functional Responsive Experimentation for Systems and Humans (FRESH) program at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. The period of performance is 60 months.
The effort involves developing and evaluating new materials, processing methods, and modeling techniques to create advanced polymers and responsive materials designed to enhance the performance and resilience of Air Force assets across air, space, and weapons systems, expanding the company’s ongoing work with the Air Force Research Laboratory.
“We’re entering an era where biology and materials science are converging,” said Dr. John Hogan, Vice President of Defense and Interagency Services at AeroVironment. “Our work under this program explores that frontier, creating responsive systems that enhance human performance, reduce maintenance burdens, and ensure operational dominance for the Air Force.”
The company’s research will leverage AI to speed discovery, testing, and environmental evaluation, with applications spanning cognitive and physiological monitoring, flexible electronics, additive smart materials, and synthetic biology. AeroVironment continues expanding its defense technology portfolio beyond its established Switchblade loitering munition and Puma unmanned aircraft platforms.
Redwire (NYSE: RDW): Positioning for homeland defense modernization under SHIELD
Redwire recently announced its selection for the Missile Defense Agency’s Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) contract—an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract vehicle with a ceiling of $151 billion.
“Redwire’s proven space and defense technologies, including unmanned aerial systems, advanced sensors, maneuverable spacecraft platforms, and agent-based modeling and simulation, position us to deliver resilient, multi-domain solutions for national security missions,” said Peter Cannito, Chairman and CEO of Redwire. “We are excited to continue advancing capabilities that help protect the homeland and support mission partners across the Department of Defense.”
The company employs approximately 1,300 people across the United States and Europe, focused on aerospace infrastructure, autonomous systems, and multi-domain operations leveraging digital engineering and AI automation, with capabilities spanning unmanned platforms, advanced sensors, and maneuverable spacecraft for government and commercial partners.
V2X (NYSE: VVX): ATSP5 access and defense microelectronics modernization pathways
V2X recently secured a position on Advanced Technology Support Program 5 (ATSP5), a $25 billion multiple-award contract administered by the Defense Microelectronics Activity under the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The program scope includes engineering development from system studies and prototyping through testing, integration, and limited production—covering lifecycle technology support for embedded systems, network-centric warfare systems, and large-scale defense integrations.
“Winning a position on the ATSP5 enables V2X as a leader in transformative engineering solutions,” said Jeremy C. Wensinger, President and Chief Executive Officer of V2X. “Our selection places us at the forefront of defense modernization, allowing us to deliver advanced capabilities that don’t simply respond to threats and system obsolescence, but anticipate and evolve with them.”
The company brings decades of expertise in rapid acquisition, systems engineering, microelectronics supply assurance, and the application of advanced technologies including AI. The ATSP5 program creates pathways for modernization, overcoming obsolescence challenges, extending lifecycle of aging defense equipment, and advancing AI-optimized systems and large-scale AI orchestration capabilities to address emerging threats.
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