[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":253},["ShallowReactive",2],{"en-post-joby-resonant-sciences-defense-acquisition-2026":3,"en-related-joby-resonant-sciences-defense-acquisition-2026":217},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":7,"category":197,"date":198,"description":199,"draft":200,"extension":201,"image":202,"meta":203,"navigation":204,"path":205,"seo":206,"slug":207,"stem":208,"tags":209,"translation_slug":190,"updated":215,"__hash__":216},"en_posts\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Fjoby-resonant-sciences-defense-acquisition-2026.md","Joby Buys Resonant Sciences for $500M Defense Push","Lucas Buzzo",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":189},"minimark",[10,14,17,22,39,42,44,48,51,127,130,132,136,139,142,144,148,161,164,166,170,172],[11,12,13],"p",{},"Joby Aviation agreed to acquire Dayton, Ohio-based defense technology company Resonant Sciences for approximately $500 million, the companies announced August 11, 2026. The deal — funded with roughly $450 million in cash and $50 million in Joby stock — creates a dedicated defense business built around Resonant's radio-frequency systems and Joby's aircraft propulsion and autonomy technology.",[15,16],"hr",{},[18,19,21],"h2",{"id":20},"background","Background",[11,23,24,28,29,32,33,38],{},[25,26,27],"strong",{},"Joby Aviation"," (NYSE: JOBY) is a California-based ",[25,30,31],{},"eVTOL"," (electric vertical takeoff and landing) developer building the S4, a four-passenger electric air taxi pursuing FAA type certification alongside rival Archer Aviation. Commercial eVTOL certification has taken longer than either company projected when they went public in 2021, while global defense budgets have climbed sharply amid the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. That gap has pushed both companies toward military revenue: Archer announced its own defense-driven acquisition of Boeing's Wisk Aero, Insitu, and SkyGrid subsidiaries just one day earlier, on August 10 — see our ",[34,35,37],"a",{"href":36},"\u002Farcher-boeing-wisk-insitu-acquisition-2026\u002F","coverage of that deal"," for the full terms.",[11,40,41],{},"Joby was already building a defense track record before this acquisition. In 2025 it partnered with L3Harris Technologies to develop gas-turbine hybrid VTOL aircraft for autonomous defense missions, and in 2024 it flew a hydrogen-electric hybrid aircraft 521 miles on a single fuel load. The Resonant deal follows Joby's 2025 purchase of Blade Air Mobility's helicopter business for roughly $125 million, a move that already supplies most of Joby's near-term revenue — Blade's operations generated $36.2 million of Joby's $38.6 million in second-quarter 2026 revenue.",[15,43],{},[18,45,47],{"id":46},"what-resonant-sciences-brings-to-joby","What Resonant Sciences Brings to Joby",[11,49,50],{},"Resonant designs and manufactures radio-frequency and mission systems, radomes, antennas, and low-observability aircraft technology for U.S. national security customers. The company holds access to classified government programs and operates facilities in Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Colorado, and North Carolina, in addition to its Dayton headquarters.",[52,53,54,67],"table",{},[55,56,57],"thead",{},[58,59,60,64],"tr",{},[61,62,63],"th",{},"Metric",[61,65,66],{},"Figure",[68,69,70,79,87,95,103,111,119],"tbody",{},[58,71,72,76],{},[73,74,75],"td",{},"Trailing 12-month revenue",[73,77,78],{},"$100M+",[58,80,81,84],{},[73,82,83],{},"Year-over-year revenue growth",[73,85,86],{},"~40%",[58,88,89,92],{},[73,90,91],{},"Adjusted EBITDA margin",[73,93,94],{},"High teens",[58,96,97,100],{},[73,98,99],{},"H1 2026 bookings vs. H1 2025",[73,101,102],{},"More than 3x",[58,104,105,108],{},[73,106,107],{},"Employees",[73,109,110],{},"~250 (90%+ hold security clearances)",[58,112,113,116],{},[73,114,115],{},"Deal value",[73,117,118],{},"~$500M ($450M cash + $50M stock)",[58,120,121,124],{},[73,122,123],{},"Expected close",[73,125,126],{},"First half of 2027",[11,128,129],{},"Resonant's backlog more than doubled year-over-year heading into the deal, and its bookings in the first half of 2026 already ran more than three times the pace of the same period in 2025 — figures that made it an attractive, fast-growing target rather than a distressed asset. Once the deal closes, the two companies expect to operate roughly 1 million combined square feet of manufacturing, integration, and testing space across the Dayton region, including a new 125,000-square-foot facility currently under construction.",[15,131],{},[18,133,135],{"id":134},"how-the-defense-unit-will-operate","How the Defense Unit Will Operate",[11,137,138],{},"Resonant will become Joby's dedicated defense business, continuing to operate under its existing name and led by co-founder and CEO J. Micah North. It absorbs Joby's existing defense-facing programs, including the turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric hybrid aircraft developed with L3Harris and Joby's broader autonomy technology stack. Joby's commercial side stays focused on certifying and launching the S4 electric air taxi.",[11,140,141],{},"\"The combination will pair Resonant's established capabilities with Joby's globally leading aircraft propulsion technologies,\" said Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt in the companies' joint announcement. North said the move gives Resonant's team \"access to additional engineering depth, aircraft platforms, and autonomy technology\" it could not build as quickly on its own. The acquisition, structured as roughly 90% cash and 10% stock, is expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approval.",[15,143],{},[18,145,147],{"id":146},"what-this-means-for-drone-pilots","What This Means for Drone Pilots",[11,149,150,151,155,156,160],{},"This is a corporate acquisition, not a new product, rule, or airspace change — nothing shifts immediately for hobbyist or Part 107 commercial operators. But the deal, arriving one day after Archer's own Boeing acquisition, confirms that both major U.S. eVTOL companies now see defense contracts, not passenger air taxis, as their nearest path to sustained revenue while certification drags on. For anyone tracking how autonomy and uncrewed aircraft technology move between the military and commercial drone worlds, Resonant's RF and mission-systems expertise plus Joby's autonomy stack is a preview of the kind of hybrid capability likely to show up in future uncrewed aircraft — a trend our ",[34,152,154],{"href":153},"\u002Fdrones-and-artificial-intelligence\u002F","guide to drones and artificial intelligence"," covers in more depth, alongside how autonomous systems are classified in our ",[34,157,159],{"href":158},"\u002Ftypes-of-drones\u002F","overview of drone types",".",[11,162,163],{},"Watch for how quickly Joby folds Resonant's manufacturing capacity and classified program access into its own aircraft roadmap — that pace will signal whether eVTOL makers can genuinely compete for defense dollars against established uncrewed aircraft suppliers, or whether these deals remain primarily financial hedges while commercial certification catches up.",[15,165],{},[167,168],"faq",{":items":169},"[{\"question\":\"How much is Joby Aviation paying for Resonant Sciences?\",\"answer\":\"Joby is paying approximately $500 million, split into about $450 million in cash and $50 million in Joby common stock. The deal was announced August 11, 2026, and is expected to close in the first half of 2027.\"},{\"question\":\"What does Resonant Sciences make?\",\"answer\":\"Resonant Sciences designs and manufactures radio-frequency and mission systems, radomes, antennas, and low-observability aircraft technology for U.S. national security customers. It is based in Dayton, Ohio, with additional facilities in five other states.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is Joby Aviation buying a defense company?\",\"answer\":\"Joby's core electric air taxi business is still working through FAA certification, while global defense spending has grown due to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Resonant gives Joby an established, profitable defense revenue stream and access to classified government programs, mirroring a similar move by rival Archer Aviation one day earlier.\"},{\"question\":\"Will Resonant Sciences keep its name after the acquisition?\",\"answer\":\"Yes. Resonant becomes Joby's dedicated defense business unit and continues operating under its existing name, led by co-founder and CEO J. Micah North, while Joby's commercial division remains focused on the S4 electric air taxi.\"}]",[15,171],{},[11,173,174],{},[175,176,177,178,183,184],"em",{},"Sources: ",[34,179,27],{"href":180,"rel":181},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.jobyaviation.com\u002Fnews\u002Fjoby-aviation-to-scale-defense-business-through-acquisition-of-resonant-sciences",[182],"nofollow"," | ",[34,185,188],{"href":186,"rel":187},"https:\u002F\u002Ftechcrunch.com\u002F2026\u002F08\u002F11\u002Fjoby-aviation-builds-out-defense-business-with-500m-acquisition\u002F",[182],"TechCrunch",{"title":190,"searchDepth":191,"depth":191,"links":192},"",2,[193,194,195,196],{"id":20,"depth":191,"text":21},{"id":46,"depth":191,"text":47},{"id":134,"depth":191,"text":135},{"id":146,"depth":191,"text":147},"news","2026-08-13","Joby Aviation will acquire defense tech firm Resonant Sciences for $500 million, announced August 11, 2026, to build a dedicated military aircraft unit.",false,"md","\u002Fimages\u002Fjoby-resonant-sciences-defense-acquisition-2026.jpg",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Fjoby-resonant-sciences-defense-acquisition-2026",{"title":5,"description":199},"joby-resonant-sciences-defense-acquisition-2026","en\u002Fposts\u002Fjoby-resonant-sciences-defense-acquisition-2026",[210,211,212,213,214],"joby aviation","resonant sciences","evtol","defense","advanced air mobility",null,"v-Ht59i1fvEYPd6nx5TAUJHqMxm0aorWpagVUC0iMCE",[218,220,232,242],{"title":5,"description":199,"date":198,"category":197,"image":202,"slug":207,"tags":219,"author":6},[210,211,212,213,214],{"title":221,"description":222,"date":223,"category":197,"image":224,"slug":225,"tags":226,"author":6},"DARPA Lift Challenge 2026: A Helicopter Beat the Drones","Avidrone's Katana helicopter won DARPA's Lift Challenge on Aug 9, 2026, lifting 112 lbs at a 3.84:1 ratio — missing the 4:1 goal and halving its $2.5M prize.","2026-08-12","\u002Fimages\u002Fdarpa-lift-challenge-avidrone-katana-winner-2026.jpg","darpa-lift-challenge-avidrone-katana-winner-2026",[227,228,229,230,231],"darpa","heavy-lift drone","military drones","drone technology","uav",{"title":233,"description":234,"date":223,"category":197,"image":235,"slug":236,"tags":237,"author":6},"FAA Proposes $289K Fine for Unlicensed Ag Drone Flights","The FAA proposed a $289,215 fine against Gorge Drones for 15 unauthorized fertilizer-spraying flights, a warning for agricultural drone operators nationwide.","\u002Fimages\u002Fagricultural-drone-guide.jpg","faa-fine-gorge-drones-agricultural-2026",[238,239,240,241],"faa","agricultural drones","regulation","drone laws",{"title":243,"description":244,"date":245,"category":197,"image":246,"slug":247,"tags":248,"author":6},"Archer Buys Boeing's Wisk, Insitu, SkyGrid for 20% Stake","Archer Aviation will acquire Boeing's Wisk Aero, Insitu, and SkyGrid in an all-stock deal announced August 10, 2026, giving Boeing a nearly 20% Archer stake.","2026-08-11","\u002Fimages\u002Farcher-boeing-wisk-insitu-acquisition-2026.jpg","archer-boeing-wisk-insitu-acquisition-2026",[249,250,212,251,252,214],"archer aviation","boeing","wisk aero","insitu",1786607714610]