Defense manufacturers across Michigan are under pressure, squeezed between a shrinking skilled labor pool, fragile supply chains, and the constant demand to keep up with new production technology. A new partnership aims to give them more room to breathe.
The U.S. Navy is piloting a new maintenance strategy aimed at cutting the time F/A-18 Super Hornets spend grounded for composite damage repairs.
The American aerospace and defense industries continue to grow, serving as a hub of innovation within the U.S. manufacturing ecosystem.
In southern New Mexico Spaceport America is a one-stop-shop for manufacturers to engineer, build, test, and launch spacecraft. Aerospace and defense manufacturing companies like Virgin Galactic, Castelion Inc., and SpinLaunch operate in the commercial spaceport.
At RAPID + TCT 2026 SME Media Editor-in-chief Steve Plumb sat down with Foster Ferguson, Vice President of Industrial Business for Stratasys.