Wikipedia

MAG Aerospace

MAG Aerospace
IndustryGovernment Services, Defense Contracting
Founded2009
HeadquartersFairfax, Virginia
Key people
Joe Fluet (Co-founder)
Joe Paull (Co-founder)
Brian Stites (Vice president)[1]
Websitemagaero.com

MAG Aerospace is an American-owned military contractor based in Fairfax, Virginia, founded by Joe Fluet in 2009.[2] It specializes in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services operations, a well as training and technical services.[3]

MAG employs about 1,300 personnel and records over $400 million in annual sales.[4]

History

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MAG Aerospace was founded in 2009 by Joe Fluet and Joe Paull.[5]

MAG Aerospace grew by 70% to 80% annually from 2015 to 2018 to more than $300 million in annual revenue. Having secured private equity backing in 2018 from New Mountain Capital, a New York-based firm with $20 billion in assets,[6] MAG Aerospace acquired four companies over the two years of 2017 and 2018.[7][8]

In 2018, former Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker joined MAG Aerospace's board of directors.[9]

As of May 2019, MAG Aerospace continues to help the U.S. military fight the Taliban in Afghanistan as part of Task Force ODIN under the Army’s Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (MARSS) program.[10]

In 2021, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali contracted US-based MAG Aerospace to provide fixed wing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.[11] They will use Cessna 208 aircraft to meet the UN requirements.

In 2023, MAG Aerospace and SAS, an analytics company, announced a partnership after receiving $900 million contract from the U.S. Space Force.[12] The two companies will help the Space Force analyze data from their radars and sensors.[12][13] MAG was one of 18 other companies to be chosen for the Space Force contract.[14]

MAG Aerospace and Zapata AI, a generative intelligence provider, announced a partnership in October 2024 to build an airborne surveillance platform.[15]

In April 2025, the company partnered with Parallel Flight Technologies, a company focused on hybrid-propulsion drone technology, to advance drone-based defense solutions and other response operations.[16][17] In the same month, MAG did a series of tests with Gogo Business Aviation using their electronically steered antenna (ESA).[18]

Acquisitions

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The company acquired BOSH Global Services in 2015, followed by Dover Vantage, a remote services company, in 2016.[19] In 2017, it purchased Avenge, a company specializing in manned ISR training and operations.[19]

In 2018, it acquired the southern Maryland defense contractor Ausley Associates, as well as Avenge Inc. and North American Surveillance Systems Inc.[20]

Recognition

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In 2025, MAG Aerospace was nominated to the DCA Live Red Hot List as one of the fastest-growing companies in the DC area.[21]

In 2019, MAG Aerospace won a Moxie award in the GovCon category.[22]

In 2017, MAG Aerospace had the #779 spot on the Inc. 5000.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jamison, Miles (December 16, 2024). "Brian Stites Appointed Vice President at MAG Aerospace". Executive Biz. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  2. ^ "Terms of Service Violation". bloomberg.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
    - "History & Growth - MAG Aerospace". magaero.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  3. ^ "MAG Aerospace Announces Leadership Changes in Corporate Development, Strategy, and Marketing" (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  4. ^ "MAG Aerospace looks for adjacencies as it plots growth path". Inside Defense. September 24, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  5. ^ Blinde, Loren (May 24, 2021). "MAG Aerospace: The former special operations aviator company you didn't see coming". Intelligence Community News. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  6. ^ Rawlings, John (June 7, 2018). "MAG Aerospace Partners with New Mountain Capital". New Mountain Capital. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  7. ^ Terry, Robert J. (September 18, 2018). "This Fairfax firm's tech is remaking reconnaissance. Just don't call it a drone company". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  8. ^ Wilkers, Ross (June 14, 2018). "MAG Aerospace gets backing from PE firm New Mountain". Washington Technology. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  9. ^ "Former Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker Joins MAG Aerospace Board of Directors" (Press release).
  10. ^ "Elite drone and attack helicopter task force still hunts Taliban in Afghanistan". Fox News. May 2, 2019.
  11. ^ "MAG Aerospace awarded UN contract for ISR aircraft in Mali". October 14, 2021.
  12. ^ a b SpaceRef (September 7, 2023). "SAS supports MAG Aerospace on $900M Space Force contract". SpaceNews. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  13. ^ "SAS supports MAG Aerospace on $900M Space Force contract". www.sas.com. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  14. ^ Erwin, Sandra (September 6, 2023). "MAG Aerospace and SAS partner for Space Force data-analytics contract". SpaceNews. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  15. ^ Kauffman, Jake (October 14, 2024). "MAG Aerospace partners with Zapata AI to deliver airborne surveillance platform". defenseandmunitions.com. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  16. ^ "MAG Aerospace and Parallel Flight Technologies Partner to Expand UAS Capabilities for Expeditionary Logistics | UAS Magazine". uasmagazine.com. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  17. ^ "MAG Aerospace and Parallel Flight Technologies Partner to Expand UAS Capabilities for Expeditionary Logistics". Santa Cruz Works. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  18. ^ "Gogo and MAG Aerospace Complete Flight Trials of Plane Simple ESA System | AIN". Aviation International News. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  19. ^ a b Censer, Marjorie (September 24, 2018). "MAG Aerospace looks for adjacencies as it plots growth path". insidedefense.com. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  20. ^ Maake, Katishi (August 27, 2018). "MAG Aerospace acquires Navy defense contractor". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  21. ^ "2025 Red Hot GovCon". DCA Live. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  22. ^ "Moxie Award 2019 Finalists". Moxie Award. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  23. ^ "MAG Aerospace". Inc.
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