Aerospace & Defense

Dallas – October 21, 2026 -- Business Jet has completed two of the first Starlink installations on the Gulfstream GIV, and a test flight recorded download speeds of up to 295 Mbps.

Gulfstream GIV Starlink STC was awarded in late August

The Dallas-based provider carried out the two installations after the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the GIV was awarded in late August. Business Jet says the GIV's addition to the approved lineup has drawn enthusiasm from owners and operators.

On the GIV's most recent flight, the 295 Mbps peak allowed passengers to stream three different movies at once without lagging, according to the company. Crew and passengers described the system as a "game changer."

Dallas – October 21, 2026 -- Business Jet has completed the first Starlink installation on the Embraer Legacy 600 certification aircraft at its Dallas facility, adding the model to the list of aircraft approved for the satellite connectivity system.

The install is the first Legacy 600 equipped with Starlink. The company says it widens access for owners and operators of the type.

Legacy 600 install needed minimal structural modifications

The Legacy 600 installation required minimal structural modifications. Its timeline was similar to that of aircraft models already approved for Starlink.

Business Jet used one of its own aircraft as the STC certification platform. CEO Chris Wright said the company was proud to contribute to industry advancements as well as deliver solutions to clients.

Huntington Beach, Calif. – October 20, 2026 -- Mach Industries, a defense manufacturer developing autonomous systems for the U.S. military and its allies, has appointed Zach Kirkman, previously Deputy Chief Financial Officer at General Motors, as its Chief Financial Officer.

Kirkman to lead financial strategy and capital markets activity as Mach scales production

Kirkman will run the company's financial strategy, capital markets activities and finance organization. Mach says it is scaling production, expanding its capital base and advancing its portfolio of unmanned systems and critical defense components.

He brings nearly two decades of experience in financial leadership, capital allocation, corporate strategy, and mergers and acquisitions across the technology and automotive sectors.

United States – October 20, 2026 -- CloudFit said the Department of War's pause on parts of the CMMC rollout does not change cybersecurity obligations for the more than 220,000 organizations in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) that are entrusted with protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

CloudFit says DFARS and NIST requirements remain in force

The company said the implementation timeline for portions of CMMC may be changing, but obligations to safeguard sensitive information under DFARS and NIST requirements have not been paused. It added that cyber threats have not paused either.

Cost and complexity block adoption across the DIB

CloudFit argues that compliance mandates alone will not secure the DIB. It says many companies have had to choose between expensive custom implementations, delaying security investments, or attempting compliance on their own. In its view, that model does not scale to the size of the DIB.

Tucson – October 19, 2026 -- The U.S. Army has awarded the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), a partnership between Raytheon, an RTX business, and Lockheed Martin, a $215 million production contract for the Lightweight Command Launch Unit (LWCLU), the next-generation launcher for the Javelin weapon system.

The LWCLU replaces the legacy command launch unit. The award follows by five months the JJV's delivery of the first LWCLUs to the Army.

New launcher is 30% smaller and 25% lighter than the Block I unit

Compared with the current Block I Command Launch Unit, the LWCLU is 30% smaller and 25% lighter. It also doubles target detection and recognition. The unit is built to give soldiers maximum surveillance and offers day and night engagement capability.

The launcher is designed to be compatible with all current, past and future Javelin variants.

Global – October 19, 2026 -- High Lander has completed a funding round backed by EDGE Group, STEP, Protego and Kinetica, with proceeds earmarked for expansion in the United States and other international markets and a push into defense and homeland security. The source does not disclose the size of the round.

Capital targets US expansion and three software platforms

The funds will support continued development of Vega (Unmanned Traffic Management), Orion (Drone Fleet Management) and Andromeda, the company's newest platform. They will also finance the extension of High Lander's technology into defense, homeland security and dual-use applications.

Washington – October 19, 2026 -- SpaceX shares fell 10.17% last week, from $162.57 to $146.03, as Ukraine accused the company of capping Starlink speeds on military-relevant terminals and Washington denied ordering it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said tests showed Starlink-equipped drones lost connection above roughly 100 mph inside Ukraine, while terminals moving at more than 112 mph inside the European Union worked normally. "In other words, this is a planned operation," he said. No one in Washington or at SpaceX has claimed the decision.

Boston – October 19, 2026 -- VIA Science, Inc. has created the post of Chief Mission Officer and appointed Joe Babiec, previously its Chief Commercial Officer, to fill it as the software provider scales globally.

Babiec moves from commercial chief to a mission-focused mandate

Babiec joined VIA in 2018. VIA supplies software to defense, law enforcement and humanitarian organizations. In the new role he will lead efforts to expand the company's mission impact with customers and the communities it serves.

The company defines its mission as securing data and AI for community safety, resilience and prosperity.

Internal and external remits cover customer decisions and public profile

Internally, Babiec will ensure that VIA's customer and partner decisions support that mission. Externally, he will raise awareness of VIA's impact as the company expands across the globe.

Coeur d'Alene – October 19, 2026 -- Continuous Composites Inc. is opening a roughly 5,600-square-foot engineering facility in Kent, Washington, to advance its patented Continuous Fiber 3D Printing (CF3D) technology and work more closely with aerospace, defense and space customers across the Pacific Northwest.

Kent Valley site gives CF3D engineers access to an established aerospace supply base

The facility sits in the Kent Valley, which the company describes as one of the nation's most concentrated aerospace and advanced manufacturing corridors. It offers access to a skilled technical workforce and a network of aircraft, spacecraft, defense, materials and precision-manufacturing companies.

The Kent team will advance CF3D technology, develop high-temperature composite components, and collaborate with customers and industry partners.

Colorado Springs – October 19, 2026 -- The Tech7 Company has won a Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, facilitated by SpaceWERX, to develop the Proliferated LEO Agile Testbed Environment (PLATE) for the U.S. Space Force. Work under the award is scheduled to begin in October.

PLATE targets data pipelines never built for proliferated LEO volumes

The Space Force's shift to proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) constellations will put hundreds of distributed sensors online, each generating continuous, low-latency data streams that must be processed and acted on in near real time. Today's stove-piped, mission-specific data pipelines were not designed for that load, and PLATE is meant to close the gap.

SpaceWERX, the Space Force's innovation arm, awarded more than 300 contracts totaling $510 million in fiscal year 2025.