Archer Aviation Acquires Boeing's Wisk, Insitu, and SkyGrid

Archer Aviation is expanding its eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) portfolio through an acquisition of Boeing's Wisk, Insitu, and SkyGrid subsidiaries. The deal gives Archer control of the Generation 6 autonomous eVTOL flight test program at Wisk, where two aircraft are currently flying.

Wisk's Generation 6 aircraft uses 12 propellers on a fixed wing and carries no onboard pilot, relying instead on ground-based monitoring and intervention. Boeing will retain access to the core autonomous flight technology developed by Wisk for use on its current and next-generation commercial and defense aircraft.

The acquisition also adds Insitu's defense business to Archer's portfolio, including uncrewed aircraft systems used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance that have been fielded over 3,500 times across 35 nations. SkyGrid contributes a ground-based air traffic management platform that Archer plans to combine with its own autonomy software.

Archer is separately working on the final phase of type certification for its piloted Midnight aircraft, having reported in May that it was the first eVTOL developer to close phase three of the four-phase process run by the Federal Aviation Administration. The company is building six Midnight aircraft for early commercial operations.