Archer to acquire Boeing’s Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid

Archer Aviation has agreed to acquire three of Boeing’s autonomy and uncrewed systems subsidiaries, Wisk Aero, Insitu and SkyGrid, in a deal that hands the electric aircraft developer its first profitable defense business and gives Boeing an equity stake in return.

The two companies announced they had signed definitive agreements on August 10, 2026, exactly three years to the day after they settled the trade secrets lawsuit Wisk filed against Archer in 2021. Financial terms were not disclosed in the announcement, with Archer pointing to a Form 8-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission the same day.

Insitu gives Archer a profitable defense foothold

A ScanEagle operator prepares to launch the Insitu-built UAS from USCGC Stratton in the western Pacific Ocean. (Credit: US Coast Guard photo)The most immediately material asset is Insitu. Founded in 1994 and bought by Boeing in 2008, the Bingen, Washington-based manufacturer builds the ScanEagle and Integrator intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, operated by the armed forces of 35 nations including the US Navy and the US Marine Corps.

Archer said the business is profitable, generates more than $200 million in annual revenue, and has fielded over 3,500 uncrewed aircraft systems. Insitu has offices in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

That contrasts with Archer’s own defense line, which has yet to reach production. The company unveiled Thunder, the military variant of the hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft it is developing with Anduril, at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 20, 2026, followed by the commercial version, Halo, two days later. Thunder is not expected to fly until 2027.

Wisk technology to feed Archer’s ‘physical AI’ platform

Wisk brings six generations of eVTOL design and more than 1,700 flight tests, along with the flight control computer, sensor suite and radar developed for its autonomous Generation 6 aircraft, which flew for the first time in December 2025.

SkyGrid, which became a Wisk subsidiary in June 2025, supplies aircraft-agnostic ground-based air traffic management software. Archer said the three companies will provide ZEE, its aviation foundation model, with data from nearly two million combined flight hours, creating what it describes as an end-to-end “physical AI” platform.

“This is a watershed moment for Archer and the future of physical AI in aerospace and defense,” said Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein.

Boeing retains access to Wisk autonomy technology

Wisk Aero’s Generation 6 autonomous eVTOL aircraft on display. (Credit: AeroTime)Boeing will retain access to Wisk’s core autonomous flight technology for its current and next-generation commercial and defense aircraft under a technology-sharing arrangement, while maintaining exposure to the assets through its stake in Archer.

“This transaction is a win-win for Boeing and Archer,” said Brian Yutko, Boeing vice president for Commercial Airplanes Product Development and a former Wisk chief executive. “It allows Wisk, SkyGrid and Insitu to accelerate capability development and time to market while ensuring Boeing capitalizes on its investments in these technologies over the past two decades.”

Boeing continues shedding non-core assets

The transaction continues Boeing’s disposal of non-core assets under CEO Kelly Ortberg, following the $10.55 billion sale of Jeppesen and ForeFlight to Thoma Bravo, which closed in November 2025. Insitu had been reported as a potential sale candidate since early 2025.

The deal remains subject to closing conditions, including expiration of the waiting period under the US Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, and is expected to close by the end of 2026. Moelis & Company is advising Archer, while J.P. Morgan Securities is advising Boeing.The post Archer to acquire Boeing’s Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid appeared first on AeroTime.

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