Global Finance News
11 Aug 2026, 06:10
Archer Aviation to Acquire Boeing’s Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid in Major Aerospace and Defense Deal
Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) has agreed to acquire Boeing’s Wisk Aero, Insitu and SkyGrid subsidiaries in a major transaction designed to transform Archer into a broader aerospace, defense and autonomous aviation platform.
The deal combines Archer’s eVTOL aircraft, unmanned systems and ZEE AI platform with Wisk’s autonomous flight technology, Insitu’s defense-focused unmanned aircraft systems and SkyGrid’s automated airspace management software. Together, the businesses have accumulated nearly two million flight hours.
The acquisition also gives Archer an established and profitable defense operation generating more than $200 million in annual revenue, with activities spanning 35 countries. Insitu alone has manufactured and deployed more than 3,500 unmanned aircraft systems, providing Archer with a substantially larger presence in the global defense market.
Boeing to Invest in Archer
As part of the transaction, Boeing (NYSE: BA) will take an equity stake in Archer and become a strategic partner. The companies will also establish a technology-sharing arrangement, allowing Boeing to retain access to Wisk’s autonomous flight technology for future commercial and defense aircraft.
For Boeing, the transaction allows the company to concentrate capital on its core businesses while maintaining exposure to the technologies developed by Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid through its Archer investment and partnership.
For Archer, the acquisition represents a significant diversification beyond its emerging air-taxi business. The company intends to combine autonomous flight, AI, drones, airspace management and eVTOL technologies into what it describes as an end-to-end “physical AI” platform for commercial aerospace and defense.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) has agreed to acquire Boeing’s Wisk Aero, Insitu and SkyGrid subsidiaries in a major transaction designed to transform Archer into a broader aerospace, defense and autonomous aviation platform.
The deal combines Archer’s eVTOL aircraft, unmanned systems and ZEE AI platform with Wisk’s autonomous flight technology, Insitu’s defense-focused unmanned aircraft systems and SkyGrid’s automated airspace management software. Together, the businesses have accumulated nearly two million flight hours.
The acquisition also gives Archer an established and profitable defense operation generating more than $200 million in annual revenue, with activities spanning 35 countries. Insitu alone has manufactured and deployed more than 3,500 unmanned aircraft systems, providing Archer with a substantially larger presence in the global defense market.
Boeing to Invest in Archer
As part of the transaction, Boeing (NYSE: BA) will take an equity stake in Archer and become a strategic partner. The companies will also establish a technology-sharing arrangement, allowing Boeing to retain access to Wisk’s autonomous flight technology for future commercial and defense aircraft.
For Boeing, the transaction allows the company to concentrate capital on its core businesses while maintaining exposure to the technologies developed by Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid through its Archer investment and partnership.
For Archer, the acquisition represents a significant diversification beyond its emerging air-taxi business. The company intends to combine autonomous flight, AI, drones, airspace management and eVTOL technologies into what it describes as an end-to-end “physical AI” platform for commercial aerospace and defense.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
