AE Industrial Partners Acquires UAV Factory

UAV Factory (AE Industrial Partners) Acquires Jennings Aeronautics

September 14, 2021

Aerospace & Defense

UAV Factory, a portfolio company of private equity firm AE Industrial Partners, has acquired Jennings Aeronautics (JAI) and will combine JAI's SUAS capabilities with UAV Factory's tactical UAV and ISR platform. The deal expands AEI's unmanned and autonomous platform by adding JAI's engineering, manufacturing and autonomous flight-control expertise; terms were not disclosed.

AE Industrial Partners Acquires American Pacific Corporation

February 6, 2020

Manufacturing

AE Industrial Partners (AEI) has acquired American Pacific Corporation, a Cedar City, Utah-based manufacturer of specialty chemicals and materials used in aerospace, defense, space launch and fire suppression applications, from Huntsman Family Investments. The deal, which closed Feb. 6, 2020, will position AEI to grow American Pacific as a platform investment and further support customers in national security and space programs.

AE Industrial Partners Acquires Majority Interest in Yingling Aviation

June 5, 2023

Aerospace & Defense

AE Industrial Partners (AEI) has acquired a majority interest in Yingling Aviation, a Wichita-based provider of MRO and FBO services for business and government aviation. Terms were not disclosed; Yingling’s leadership (Chairman & CEO Lynn Nichols and President Andrew Nichols) will remain active owners and operators as AEI seeks to build a scaled independent platform in business aviation services.

AE Industrial Partners Acquires Majority Stake in York Space Systems

October 4, 2022

Aerospace & Defense

AE Industrial Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in York Space Systems, a Denver-based manufacturer of small satellites and turnkey mission operations, with funds managed by BlackRock Private Equity Partners investing alongside. The deal provides York with institutional capital to scale production capacity and accelerate growth across government and commercial satellite markets; CEO Dirk Wallinger and Chairman Charles Beames will remain in leadership and retain significant ownership.

PDG Aviation Services Acquires Team UAV

April 16, 2025

Aerospace & Defense

LDC-backed PDG Aviation Services has acquired Team UAV, a UK-based provider of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) survey and inspection services. The deal expands PDG's aerial surveying, inspection and imaging capabilities—integrating UAV technology to better serve customers in power, utilities, rail and other infrastructure end markets.

AE Industrial Partners Acquires NuWave Solutions

June 22, 2020

AI & Machine Learning

AE Industrial Partners acquired a majority interest in NuWave Solutions, a provider of data management, advanced analytics, AI/ML, and cloud solutions serving the U.S. federal government. AEI will position NuWave as a standalone platform to expand its Defense & Government Services capabilities, and named industry veterans Dr. Reggie Brothers as CEO and Michael Buscher as Chief Growth Officer.