AEVEX Corp. Announces Financial Results for Second Quarter 2026

SOLANA BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AEVEX Corp. (NYSE: AVEX) ("AEVEX" or the Company) announced results today for the three months ended June 30, 2026 ("Second Quarter 2026").

• Total revenue of $201.8 million, up 99.5% from $101.1 million in Q2 2025
• Net Income of $6.7 million compared to a net loss of $11.8 million in Q2 2025
• Adjusted EBITDA* of $28.1 million compared to Adjusted EBITDA* of $3.6 million in Q2 2025
• Announced definitive agreement to acquire BlackSea Technologies to expand AEVEX’s multi‑domain autonomous systems portfolio

Outlook for Full Year 2026

• Total revenue of $700.0 million to $720.0 million
• Adjusted EBITDA* of $105.0 million to $111.5 million

* See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for an explanation of this measure. The Company is unable to provide a reconciliation for forward-looking outlook of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss), the most closely comparable GAAP measure without unreasonable effort, because certain material reconciling items cannot be estimated due to factors outside of the Company's control and could have a material impact on the reported results. However, the Company estimates depreciation and amortization of approximately $21.7 million and net interest expense of approximately $11.5 million for the year ending December 31, 2026.

“Our second‑quarter results reflect the scale, momentum, and customer demand we’re seeing across our autonomous systems portfolio. Near triple‑digit revenue growth, continued margin expansion, and strong execution across the business highlight the operational tempo our teams are delivering for customers,” said Roger Wells, Chief Executive Officer of AEVEX. “Demand signals for battle‑proven autonomous systems remain robust, and we continued to see customers prioritize providers who can deliver capability at scale and in operational environments today. Our CompassX‑enabled autonomy ecosystem and expanding production footprint position us well to support those needs."

“The announced acquisition of BlackSea is expected to further strengthen our position in a rapidly expanding market and reflects the disciplined capital deployment that underpins our strategy to build one of the most capable pure‑play autonomous systems providers in the industry.”

“With key programs ramping, a growing pipeline, and sustained momentum through the first half of the year, we are raising our full‑year outlook and entering the second half of 2026 with strong visibility. I’m proud of our team’s execution, and confident in our ability to continue delivering field‑relevant autonomous systems that help advance customer missions.”

“In the second quarter, AEVEX delivered balanced performance across both Tactical Systems and Global Solutions and continued our disciplined approach to deploying capital,” said Todd Booth, Chief Financial Officer of AEVEX. “These results reflect disciplined execution, strong backlog conversion, and sustained demand supporting visibility as we move through the remainder of the year.”

Total revenues increased to $201.8 million from $101.1 million, or by $100.7 million, for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to the same period in 2025. The increase is primarily due to $102.1 million of higher revenues in our Tactical Systems segment primarily from UAS products and support services (including $72.2 million from the EUCOM AOR Deep Strike program), which is offset by $1.8 million of lower revenue in our Global Solutions segment from aircraft modifications and testing products and services.

For the three months ended June 30, 2026, our net income (loss) increased to net income of $6.7 million and a net income margin of 3.3% from a net loss of $(11.8) million and a net loss margin of (11.7)%, or by $18.5 million, compared to the same period in 2025. The increase was primarily driven by a $26.1 million increase in products gross profit, a $3.1 million increase in services gross profit and a $1.6 million decrease in research and development expenses primarily for UAS products and services development activities. These favorable impacts were partially offset by a $13.1 million increase in selling, general and administrative expenses, primarily due to a $5.8 million increase in professional fees related to our IPO process, secondary offering and business acquisition, a $3.0 million increase in incentive compensation expense, a $2.1 million increase in new employee-related costs, and a $1.6 million increase in noncash stock compensation expense.

For the three months ended June 30, 2026, Adjusted EBITDA was $28.1 million and Adjusted EBITDA margin was 13.9%. This is compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $3.6 million and Adjusted EBITDA margin of 3.6% for the three months ended June 30, 2025. The increase was primarily driven by a $26.6 million increase in Tactical Systems Adjusted EBITDA as a result of the increase in products revenue and decrease in research and development expense for UAS products and services, which was partially offset by the increase in cost of products revenue and the increase in selling, general and administrative expenses for incentive compensation expense and new employee-related costs. In addition, the increase was also driven by a $1.8 million increase in Global Solutions Adjusted EBITDA, primarily due to decrease in selling, general, and administrative expenses, research and development expenses, and cost of products, which is partially offset by the decrease in revenue primarily from aircraft modifications and testing products.

Segment Highlights

We measure the performance of our reportable segments based on total segment revenue and Segment Adjusted EBITDA. Our operating and reportable segments are Tactical Systems and Global Solutions. The following table presents total revenue by segment, Segment Adjusted EBITDA and Segment Adjusted EBITDA margin (in thousands):

Tactical Systems

Tactical Systems segment revenue increased to $174.2 million from $72.1 million, or by $102.1 million and 141.6%, for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2025. The increase is due to $102.1 million of higher revenue from UAS products and support services.

Tactical Systems Adjusted EBITDA increased to $29.6 million from $2.9 million, or by $26.6 million, for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2025. The increase is primarily due to the increase in products revenue and the decrease in research and development expense for UAS products and services, which was offset by the increase in cost of products revenue and the increase in selling, general and administrative expenses for incentive compensation expense and new employee-related costs.

Global Solutions

Global Solutions segment revenue decreased to $27.6 million from $29.0 million, or by $1.5 million and 5.0%, for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2025. The decrease is primarily due to $1.8 million of lower revenue primarily from aircraft modifications and testing products.

Global Solutions Adjusted EBITDA increased to $3.9 million from $2.2 million, or by $1.8 million, for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2025. The increase is primarily due to decrease in selling, general, and administrative expenses, research and development expenses, and cost of products, which is partially offset by the decrease in revenue primarily from aircraft modifications and testing products.

Awards and Funded Backlog

Significant second quarter 2026 awards include: A contract for delivery of UAS and engineering services to U.S. Air Force with a contract value of $18.5 million; contracts for mission‑support capabilities with the U.S. Air Force with an aggregate contract value of $15.6 million; an option year award to continue delivering real‑time aerial intelligence for California’s FIRIS Program with a contract value of $15.2 million; and a contract for advanced unmanned mission capabilities with the U.S. Air Force with a contract value of $50 million.

Funded backlog represents our estimate of the revenue we expect to realize in future periods as a result of performing work on funded contracts that have been awarded to us (net of any revenue already recognized as of the backlog date). We include the aggregate expected revenue from awarded contracts in our funded backlog upon the execution of a legally binding agreement (e.g., written contract or purchase order), even though our contracts include certain termination rights exercisable by our customers with advance notice. We exclude from funded backlog any unfunded contract options and at-risk work. Deferred revenue recognized on our consolidated balance sheets consists of payments and billings that we have received in excess of revenue that we have recognized. Because cash receipts from these contracts have not been recognized into revenue, they are included in our backlog calculation.

We view growth in funded backlog as a key measure of our future business prospects. We monitor our funded backlog because we believe it is a forward-looking indicator of potential sales that can be helpful to investors in evaluating the performance of our business and identifying trends over time. Although funded backlog reflects business associated with contracts that are considered to be firm, terminations, amendments, or contract cancellations may occur, which could result in a reduction in our total funded backlog and potential future revenue that never gets recognized.

Funded backlog includes both single and multi-year awards, and fluctuations in backlog are driven primarily by the timing of large program wins. The decrease of $243.3 million in funded backlog for the six months ended June 30, 2026 was primarily due to revenue recognized for the EUCOM AOR Deep Strike program during the six months ended June 30, 2026. We expect to convert approximately 95.1% of the total $259.8 million of funded backlog as of June 30, 2026 into revenue during the next 12 months. The decrease was also influenced by an increase in shorter-cycle customer orders.

Business Outlook for the Full Year 2026

For the full fiscal year 2026, the Company expects total revenue of between $700.0 million and $720.0 million, and Adjusted EBITDA* between $105.0 million and $111.5 million, excluding any contributions from the proposed acquisition of BlackSea Technologies or other future acquisitions.

* See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for an explanation of this measure. The Company is unable to provide a reconciliation for forward-looking outlook of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss), the most closely comparable GAAP measure without unreasonable effort, because certain material reconciling items cannot be estimated due to factors outside of the Company's control and could have a material impact on the reported results. However, the Company estimates depreciation and amortization of approximately $21.7 million and net interest expense of approximately $11.5 million for the year ending December 31, 2026.

The foregoing estimates, which are based on information as of August 12, 2026, are forward-looking and reflect management’s view of current and future market conditions, subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including certain assumptions with respect to our expectation that there will not be prolonged continuing resolutions, and that the general contracting and funding environment does not materially change. Investors are reminded that actual results may differ materially from these estimates and investors should review all risks related to achievement of the guidance reflected under “forward-looking statements” below and in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

Investor/Analyst Conference Call

AEVEX Chief Executive Officer, Roger Wells, and Chief Financial Officer, Todd Booth, will host an earnings conference call Wednesday, August 12, 2026, reviewing the second quarter results, followed by a question and answer session. The call is scheduled to begin promptly at 5 pm EDT. Details on how to access the call can be found on Events and Presentation section of the company's Investor Relations website. Analysts looking to participate live on the call may register here: https://tinyurl.com/AVEXConferenceCallQ2-2026

For more information, visit www.aevex.com.

About AEVEX

AEVEX Corp. (NYSE: AVEX) is a leading U.S. defense technology company delivering autonomous unmanned systems, AI‑enabled mission software, and advanced ISR and electronic warfare solutions for national security customers. With vertically integrated engineering, rapid prototyping, and high‑volume manufacturing across multiple U.S. locations, AEVEX provides affordable, front‑line‑ready capabilities designed for contested and GPS‑denied environments. AEVEX’s mission is to strengthen deterrence, enhance warfighter effectiveness, and help ensure the United States maintains technological and industrial advantage in the era of autonomy.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and related conference call contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release and related conference call are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “can have,” “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the proposed acquisition of BlackSea Technologies (the “Transaction”) and its expected closing, integration and financial impact, expected EPS accretion, BlackSea revenue and growth expectations, earnout targets, production capacity expansion plans, pipeline and proposal activity, defense spending and budget trends, multi-domain strategy and technology integration, our 2026 outlook, backlog, total addressable market opportunity, growth and M&A strategy, and capital allocation priorities. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements.

These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: a failure to (or delay in) receiving the required regulatory clearances for the Transaction; a condition to closing of the Transaction may not be satisfied (or waived); the ability of each party to consummate the Transaction; the risk that the Transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the Company’s business and the price of its securities; the diversion of management time and attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; the effect of the Transaction and the public announcement of the Transaction on BlackSea’s operations and its relationships with its suppliers, business partners, management and employees, including its ability to attract and retain key personnel; the Company’s ability to successfully integrate BlackSea and execute on the continued development of BlackSea’s programs following the closing of the Transaction; the outcome of any legal proceedings that could be instituted against the parties to the Transaction; disruption in BlackSea’s plans and operations attributable to the Transaction; a failure by BlackSea to meet its expected financial results; the Company’s evaluation of the accounting treatment of the Transaction and its potential impact on its financial results and financial guidance; the effects of the announcement or pendency of the Transaction on the Company’s stock price, business relationships, operating results and business generally; risks that the Transaction may disrupt the Company’s current business plans and operations; the risk that the issuance of the Company’s Class A common stock in connection with the Transaction will dilute the ownership interests of the Company’s existing stockholders and adversely affect the market price of the Company’s Class A common stock; our reliance on a limited number of major customers for a substantial portion of our revenue; the potential for reductions, delays, or changes in U.S. and foreign government budgets, spending priorities, procurement processes, or military transformation initiatives; our dependence on government contracts; increasing competitive pressures in our industry; decline or lack of growth with respect to the markets into which we sell our products and services; our failure to expand into new markets or introduce new offerings; our inability to manage increasing technological complexity, scale manufacturing capacity, achieve cost reductions or realize projected economies of scale; claims that our complex products and services may contain unknown defects or errors; the scarcity, unavailability, or increased cost of critical components or raw materials; violations of export controls, sanctions and other regulations; political, economic and regulatory instability in foreign markets; our dependence on senior management and key employees; challenges developing, commercializing or achieving market acceptance for new products, services or enhancements, particularly those involving artificial intelligence; changes in tax laws, trade policies, tariffs, inflation, recession and other macroeconomic or market conditions; difficulties executing, integrating or realizing expected benefits from acquisitions, and exposure to unexpected liabilities from such transactions; technological failures, cybersecurity breaches or unauthorized access to our, our customers' or our suppliers' information and systems; dependence on our facilities; and the other factors set forth in our filings with the SEC.

We derive many of our forward-looking statements from our operating budgets and forecasts, which are based on many detailed assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations, or cautionary statements, are disclosed under the “Risk Factors” and “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections in our Prospectus. All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements as well as other cautionary statements that are made from time to time in our other SEC filings and public communications. You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made in this press release and related conference call in the context of these risks and uncertainties.

We caution you that the important factors referenced above may not contain all of the factors that are important to you. The forward-looking statements included in this press release and related conference call are made only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

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