Qarbon Aerospace announced it has been awarded a contract to produce composite structures supporting sustainment of the F-22 Raptor fleet. The award builds on Qarbon’s earlier work on the platform, which included manufacturing the aircraft’s horizontal stabilizers during its development in the early 2000s, giving the company a longstanding technical relationship with the program that predates its current sustainment role.
Qarbon said its composite manufacturing capabilities and longstanding relationship with Lockheed Martin position the company to meet the program’s quality requirements as the F-22 continues to serve as one of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft. That combination of proven manufacturing experience and an established supplier relationship is central to why Qarbon was selected to support the aircraft as it moves further into its sustainment lifecycle, where reliability and consistency in composite parts production become increasingly important to keeping the fleet mission-ready.
Defense work remains central to Qarbon’s business, with the company having supported U.S. defense programs for decades across fixed-wing, rotorcraft, and space platforms, and it has recently invested in expanded defense manufacturing capability across its facilities.
That expanded capacity reflects a broader strategic push by Qarbon to grow its defense portfolio and take on a larger share of composite manufacturing work for military aircraft programs going forward. Qarbon operates nearly two million square feet of factory space across three facilities in Red Oak, Texas; Milledgeville, Georgia; and Rayong, Thailand, giving it a geographically diverse manufacturing footprint to support both domestic and international aerospace and defense customers.
KEY QUOTE:
“The F-22 is one of the most capable aircraft ever flown, and we are proud to be manufacturing for the program again. Defense is a core part of who Qarbon is, and we are committed to being the Tier 1 partner the U.S. defense industry counts on for its most advanced programs.”
Michael Canario, Chief Executive Officer, Qarbon Aerospace
