Oshkosh and Grid Aero tie-up tests new model for scaling military UAS production
The two companies will work to scale production of Grid Aero’s Lifter Lite aircraft. (Photo: Oshkosh Defense)
By combining established manufacturing capacity with startup aircraft design, the partnership could offer an alternative approach to scaling military uncrewed aircraft production.
After more than a century building heavy-duty, purpose-built vehicles, Oshkosh Defense is looking beyond the road and into the skies. The US manufacturer, a subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation which accounts for around 10% of its parent company’s portfolio, is making its first move into aircraft manufacturing through a partnership with venture capital-backed startup Grid Aero to produce uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).
The collaboration will see Oshkosh apply its decades of vehicle manufacturing expertise to the challenge of scaling military aircraft production. Silicon Valley-based Grid Aero, meanwhile, specialises in autonomous aircraft.
Under the partnership, Oshkosh Defense will work with Grid Aero to manufacture its
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