PITTSBURGH -- Howmet Aerospace is making a big bet on the nuts and bolts of aerospace manufacturing. The company has agreed to acquire Consolidated Aerospace Manufacturing, or CAM, in an all-cash deal valued at roughly $1.8 billion, buying the business from Stanley Black & Decker.

CAM is not a household name, but its hardware is everywhere across modern aircraft and defense platforms. The company designs and manufactures precision fasteners, fluid fittings, latches, and other highly engineered components that are essential to keeping aircraft structures, engines, and systems together under extreme conditions. Its portfolio includes well-known aerospace brands such as Bristol Industries, 3V Fasteners, Moeller, Aerofit, Voss Industries, QRP, E.A. Patten, and Prikos & Becker.

In commercial aviation, CAM supplies high-strength fasteners, specialized latches, and ducting components used on major Boeing programs, including the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner. It is also a key supplier to Airbus, providing mission-critical latches and fluid fittings for the A320neo family, as well as widebody platforms such as the A350 and A330. Beyond large commercial jets, CAM hardware appears on aircraft produced by regional and business jet manufacturers, including Bombardier and Embraer.

The defense side of the business is equally broad. CAM components are integrated into frontline fighter aircraft such as the F-35 Lightning II, the F-15 Eagle, and the F/A-18 Super Hornet, where reliability under heat, vibration, and combat stress is non-negotiable. The company also supplies airframe hardware for heavy transport and tanker aircraft, including the C-17 Globemaster III and the KC-46, and produces components for military helicopters built by Bell and Sikorsky.

CAM’s reach extends into propulsion as well. The company provides tubular assemblies and fittings used in major engine programs, including GE Aerospace’s GEnx and LEAP engines, Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan, and Rolls-Royce’s Trent family. It also supports space and strategic systems markets, supplying fluid distribution systems and high-pressure fittings for commercial launch vehicles and missile defense applications.

Financially, Howmet expects CAM to generate between $485 million and $495 million in revenue in fiscal year 2026, with adjusted EBITDA margins exceeding 20% before synergies. Factoring in cost synergies and tax benefits, Howmet estimates the transaction values CAM at roughly 13 times adjusted EBITDA.

Expected to close in the first half of 2026, the deal underscores accelerating consolidation in the aerospace supply chain, particularly in the high-margin world of precision fasteners and fluid systems. For Howmet, absorbing CAM strengthens its position as a Tier 1 supplier to both commercial and defense primes. By bringing these specialized brands in-house, Howmet Aerospace increases its content per aircraft on nearly every major commercial and military platform in production. As aircraft production rates climb and defense spending remains elevated, owning these specialized, difficult-to-replace components could translate into greater pricing power, improved resilience, and increased strategic leverage with the industry’s largest customers.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://flightplan.forecastinternational.com/2025/12/23/howmets-1-8b-cam-deal-targets-the-aerospace-supply-chains-pressure-points/

SANDY HOOK, Conn. - Lockheed Martin has completed production of all F-16 Block 70 fighters for Bulgaria and Slovakia's initial fleets at Lockheed Martin's facility in Greenville, South Carolina. The aircraft were delivered via the U.S. government's Foreign Military Sales program.

Slovakia has taken delivery of 14 aircraft, including 12 single-seat F-16Cs and two dual-seat F-16Ds. Production for Bulgaria includes an initial batch of eight aircraft, including six Cs and two Ds. The Bulgarian Air Force placed an order for a second batch of aircraft, including four Cs and four Ds, in September 2023. This second batch will be delivered at a later date.

These new F-16 fleets give Bulgaria and Slovakia the capability to provide national air defense and support NATO air policing with a modern, fully interoperable fighter. The new F-16s connect directly to NATO systems and support the same mission sets already flown by F-16 operators across Europe.

Prior to ordering the F-16, both Bulgaria and Slovakia operated the Soviet-designed Mikoyan MiG-29 "Fulcrum" as their primary fighter jet. Both nations are former Warsaw Pact members and have relied on Soviet-era hardware since the Cold War. The F-16 Block 70 acquisition is their major step toward modernizing their fleets to NATO standards.

The F-16 Block 70/72 features the APG-83 AESA radar, which shares 95% software commonality and 70% hardware commonality with the F-35's radar. The aircraft also includes conformal fuel tanks, a modern digital cockpit, a 12,000-hour service life and the life-saving Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).

The distinction between Block 70 and Block 72 fighters is the engine powering the aircraft. Block 70 F-16s are powered by the GE Aerospace F110-GE-129, and Block 72 aircraft by the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229.

Lockheed Martin says there are more than 700 F-16s operating in Europe, and Bulgaria and Slovakia will gain access to established training pipelines and existing logistics support networks.

Source: Lockheed Martin
Associated URL: https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2025-12-15-Lockheed-Martin-Completes-Production-of-Initial-F-16-Block-70-Fleets-for-Bulgaria-and-Slovakia

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Rolls-Royce has begun testing the AE 1107F turboshaft engine that will power the U.S. Army’s Bell MV-75 tiltrotor. Derived from the proven AE 1107 family, the new engine will equip prototype MV-75 aircraft currently under development ahead of a future production decision. Testing is underway at Rolls-Royce’s Indianapolis campus.

The AE 1107F is 80 percent common with the AE 1107C engine used on the V-22 Osprey, a fleet with more than one million flight hours and over 1,000 engines delivered, giving the MV-75 a low-risk propulsion baseline. A key design change from the V-22 is the elimination of fully rotating engine nacelles. On the MV-75, the engines remain fixed while only the rotors and gearboxes tilt, improving reliability.

Bell expects the first of eight prototypes to fly and be delivered in 2027, with the Army planning to field the MV-75 by 2030.

Source: Flight Global
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/rolls-royce-begins-testing-ae-1107f-engine-for-us-armys-new-mv-75-tiltrotor/165721.article
Author: Ryan Finnerty