JOBY Bets $500M On Defense With Resonant Sciences Acquisition, Adding Stealth Tech To Its Arsenal Beyond Air Taxis

The deal will bring Resonant’s RF, sensing, mission systems and stealth capabilities under Joby, with Resonant becoming the company’s dedicated defense business following the expected 2027 closing.

• Joby said the acquisition will give its defense business immediate scale through Resonant’s established programs, classified capabilities and manufacturing operations.
• Resonant will become Joby’s dedicated defense business, while its commercial aviation unit remains focused on its electric air taxi.
• Joby’s existing defense initiatives, including turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft and its autonomy technology stack, will be consolidated within the new unit.

Joby Aviation Inc. (JOBY) is making a $500 million bet on defense, agreeing to acquire Ohio-based defense technology company Resonant Sciences as it looks to scale its presence beyond electric air taxis.

The deal will bring Resonant’s RF, sensing, mission systems and stealth capabilities under Joby, with Resonant becoming the company’s dedicated defense business following the expected 2027 closing.

Joby Aviation shares were down about 6% in Tuesday’s pre-market trade. JOBY stock was among the top trending tickers on Stocktwits at the time of writing.

JOBY’s Defense Expansion

Joby said the acquisition will give its defense business immediate scale through Resonant’s established programs, classified capabilities and manufacturing operations.

Resonant generated more than $100 million in trailing-12-month revenue, up about 40% year over year, while operating at high-teens adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margins in recent periods, according to Joby.

JOBY Beefs Up Its Defense Business, Expands Beyond Air Taxis

Resonant will operate as Joby’s dedicated defense business once the transaction closes, while Joby’s commercial aviation organization remains focused on certifying, manufacturing and commercializing its electric air taxi.

Joby’s existing defense initiatives, including turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft and its autonomy technology stack, will be consolidated within the new unit.

The companies also plan to combine Joby’s autonomy technology with Resonant’s RF sensing and signal-processing capabilities. Joby said this could accelerate the development of software-defined autonomous systems for defense customers.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027 and will be funded with approximately $450 million in cash and $50 million in Joby common stock. Resonant’s existing name, leadership, people and customer commitments are expected to remain in place.

“The combination will pair Resonant’s established capabilities with Joby’s globally leading aircraft propulsion technologies,” Joby CEO JoeBen Bevirt said.

What Does Resonant Do?

Resonant, founded in 2015, employs about 250 people and works on advanced RF and mission systems for U.S. national security customers. Its capabilities include advanced sensing, electronic countermeasures, communications, and low-observability technologies.

More than 90% of its employees hold security clearances, while its products are qualified across more than 20 commercial and defense airframes.

The company also saw a sharp increase in demand in the first half of 2026, securing more than three times the bookings recorded in the same period a year earlier, while its backlog more than doubled year over year.

Resonant sells directly to the U.S. government and major defense contractors supporting classified national security initiatives and active U.S. defense programs of record.

“Demand for advanced defense technology is growing rapidly,” Resonant CEO J. Micah North said, adding that joining Joby will give the company access to additional “engineering depth, aircraft platforms, autonomy technology and production expertise.”

How Retail Traders Reacted To JOBY Stock

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around Joby Aviation was in the ‘extremely bullish’ territory, with message volumes at ‘high’ levels at the time of writing.

JOBY stock is down 33% year-to-date and 47% over the past 12 months. The Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF (VTI) is up 22% over the past 12 months, while the ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF (ARKX) is up 30%.

The ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ) is up 29%.

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