AEVEX, Divergent team up on new autonomous aircraft

EVEX Corp. and Divergent Technologies said Tuesday they will jointly develop a new autonomous aircraft platform, combining AEVEX’s unmanned systems work with Divergent’s 3D-printing based manufacturing process.

The companies did not disclose a contract value or say which government customer, if any, the resulting aircraft is intended for. AEVEX, based in Solana Beach, California, builds unmanned aerial systems and unmanned surface vessels and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker AVEX. Divergent, headquartered in Torrance, California, manufactures parts and structures using a platform it calls the Divergent Adaptive Production System, or DAPS, which combines 3D-printed metal components with AI-assisted design and robotic assembly.

“Working with Divergent allows us to evaluate next-generation manufacturing concepts that could improve responsiveness and bring new flexibility to how future unmanned systems are developed and delivered,” said Manan Patel, Chief Technology Officer at AEVEX.

“We’re proud to collaborate with AEVEX to deliver mass at the pace of need,” said Lukas Czinger, Co-Founder and CEO at Divergent. “Divergent is a force multiplier for our customers’ programs, and we’re excited to integrate DAPS with AEVEX’s field-proven expertise to set a new standard for delivering capability at speed and scale.”

The two companies said early work will focus on adaptable airframe designs, faster integration processes and production methods intended to cut part counts and shorten development timelines.

This is not Divergent’s first partnership built around DAPS with a larger aerospace player. As The Defence Blog reported in June, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division used the platform with Divergent to build a 2.7-meter (9-foot) wingspan drone called Replicator, taking it from concept to a first physical article in under a year. Lockheed Martin made a $25 million strategic investment in Divergent in 2024 to explore applications across advanced munitions and unmanned aircraft. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth viewed the Replicator during a stop at Divergent’s facility as part of his “Arsenal of Freedom” tour of American defense manufacturers.

Divergent also holds a spot on the US Air Force’s Eglin Wide Agile Acquisition Contract, a multiple-award vehicle with a ceiling of $46 billion for developing and fielding weapon systems. The company is building a 430,000-square-foot (40,000-square-meter) factory in Long Beach, California, meant to house 64 of its Monolith One metal printers and eventually produce tens of thousands of missile airframes and warhead casings a year. Divergent raised $290 million in a Series E funding round earlier this year at a $2.3 billion valuation, led by Rochefort Asset Management.

AEVEX has delivered unmanned systems to national security customers, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, electronic warfare equipment and unmanned surface vessels. The company completed an initial public offering in April, raising roughly $312 million and listing on the NYSE. AEVEX had operated as a portfolio company of Madison Dearborn Partners before the offering. It employs about 650 people across manufacturing sites in the United States.