Leeham News
• Scott Hamilton
Bargaining Unit Councils at the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace voted against a tentative agreement, citing lingering resentment over past contracts, comparisons with the 2024 IAM 751 deal and poor communications. The vote suggests the agreement faces a difficult path to ratification.
Boeing
Latest source-backed stories
High activity
Bargaining Unit Councils at the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace voted against a tentative agreement, citing lingering resentment over past contracts, comparisons with the 2024 IAM 751 deal and poor communications. The vote suggests the agreement faces a difficult path to ratification.
Boeing is divesting its electric aircraft and defense drone units in exchange for a 20% stake in Archer Aviation, valuing the air-taxi company at $5 billion. The transaction shifts Boeing’s exposure to advanced air mobility from direct development to an equity position in Archer.
High activity
Airbus delivered 418 commercial aircraft through July 2026, maintaining its global lead over Boeing, while Boeing recorded 38 gross orders during a slower month focused on recovery and production stability. The July period also brought certification, flight-testing, partnership and infrastructure progress, alongside major Farnborough deals.
DARPA is soliciting radical concepts for a next-generation hypersonic cruise missile, emphasizing affordable, scalable production and the ability to penetrate adversary air defenses. In parallel, Boeing unveiled an IFPC Increment 2 interceptor design, while Lockheed Martin introduced shared sensor technologies and a modular payload system for future missile bodies.
The U.S. Army awarded Collins Aerospace an engineering-services contract worth up to $472 million to support CH-47 Chinook avionics modernization, upgrades and sustainment. The award follows a separate $876 million Boeing contract for Block II Chinooks, taking Army investment in fleet modernization above $1 billion.
Delays in the U.S. Air Force’s VC-25B program could push the replacement aircraft toward obsolescence before entering service, underscoring the schedule and lifecycle risks surrounding the next-generation presidential transport program.
Boeing is promoting an off-the-shelf radar seeker designed to reduce the cost of guided missiles, while Northrop Grumman has introduced Raid Hunter, a 50mm gun-based air defense system for countering drones, cruise missiles and other aerial threats in layered, short-range defense.
High activity
Boeing delivered 53 commercial aircraft in July—39 737 MAXs, 10 787s, three 767s and one 777 Freighter—down from 64 in June but up from 48 a year earlier. Airbus delivered 67 jets, while Boeing reported 30 net orders, including Uganda Airlines and AerCap agreements announced around Farnborough.
Create a free account to see more recent Boeing stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
