Archer Acquires Boeing's Wisk, Insitu, SkyGrid in $200M+ Defense Deal

Archer Aviation and The Boeing Company announced definitive agreements under which Archer will acquire three Boeing subsidiaries: Wisk Aero, SkyGrid, and Insitu. The transaction creates an end-to-end physical AI (artificial intelligence that powers real-world autonomous systems) platform spanning commercial aerospace, defense, and air traffic management.

Wisk is the only company to have designed, built, and flown six generations of eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft, completing 1,700+ flight tests. Over 16 years, Wisk has developed autonomous flight capabilities powered by a next-generation flight-control computer, sensor suite, and radar system designed for civil and defense certification. SkyGrid operates a ground-based, aircraft-agnostic air traffic management solution that enables safe integration and automated airspace coordination—foundational infrastructure for scaling autonomous aviation. Insitu designs and manufactures unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; it operates offices in the US, Australia, the UK, and the UAE, and has manufactured and fielded more than 3,500 UAS supporting armed forces across 35 nations.

Combined, these three companies contribute nearly two million flight hours of operational experience and generate over $200M in annual revenue, adding profitable defense operations across 35 countries to Archer's portfolio. When integrated with Archer's ZEE AI foundation model—a proprietary system built specifically for aerospace and defense—the acquisition creates a consolidated platform capable of delivering autonomous solutions across multiple domains.

In parallel, Boeing will take a strategic stake in Archer and establish a collaboration and technology-sharing arrangement granting Boeing continued access to Wisk's core autonomous flight technology for current and next-generation commercial and defense aircraft. This arrangement allows Boeing to maintain upside from its two decades of investment in these technologies while focusing capital on core businesses. Archer's CEO Adam Goldstein characterized the deal as "a watershed moment for Archer and the future of physical AI in aerospace and defense" and highlighted accelerated revenue growth and business scale. Brian Yutko, Boeing's vice president of Commercial Airplanes Product Development, called it "a win-win," noting that the transaction will enable faster capability development and market entry while preserving Boeing's strategic returns.

The deal remains subject to regulatory approvals, including expiration or termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act waiting period, and is expected to close by the end of 2026. Moelis & Company and Fenwick & West are advising Archer; J.P. Morgan Securities and Mayer Brown are advising Boeing.