MAG Aerospace

Last updated

MAG Aerospace
Type Private
IndustryDefense Technology Solutions, Turnkey C5ISR Services, Airborne Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) Services, Multi-Domain Data Collection and Analysis, Special Operation Forces Readiness and Support, Rapid Development and Systems Engineering, Space Electronic Warfare and Cyber, Secure and Resilient Communications, Manned and Unmanned Systems and Sensors Integrations, Government Services, Defense Contracting, Multi-Domain Operations Provider, C5ISR-T Integrator, Edge Computing at the Tactical Edge, Common Operating Picture (COP) Provider, Special Forces Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) Training and Instruction, Flight and Live Exercise Support, Kinetic Strike Training and Support, Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF), Fielding / Integration of Critical DoD Programs, SATCOM Infrastructure Management, Spectrum and Cyberspace Superiority, Digital Transport Architecture, Rapid Prototyping, Systems Engineering Design and Integration, Logistics Support and Testing, Multi-Intelligence Collection and Surveillance Services, Contract Close Air Support (CCAS) Training, Contractor Owned / Contractor Operated (COCO) ISR Aerial Platforms, COCO ISR UAS Services
Founded2009
Headquarters Fairfax, Virginia
Key peopleJoe Fluet (Executive Chairman of the Board)

Joe Reale (CEO)

Matt Bartlett (President)
Website magaero.com

MAG Aerospace is a leader in delivering Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) services at the tactical edge with engineering and operational solutions from around the world. [1]

Contents

As the lead systems integrator and an experienced U.S. Government prime contractor, MAG brings operational excellence and technical understanding, along with program management and systems engineering expertise to manage large, complex DOD systems development and deployment contracts. [2]

MAG specializes in the “middle layer” of defense technology, meaning they do not necessarily build the jet (the platform) or the missile (the effector); MAG builds the “digital glue” that allows the jet to talk to the missile and the satellite to talk to the soldier. The integrator’s task is to provide the C5ISR services—integration, operations, training, and technical services—that turn a collection of gadgets into a cohesive weapon system. MAG has the contract portfolio and experience of a large federal government prime contractor, with the agility of a small business to make partnering quick and effective for the Department of War (DoW/DoD) contracting.

MAG’s expertise in “Turnkey C5ISR” services involves taking commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and “missionizing” it for military use. MAG partners with non-traditional technology providers to accelerate adoption and compliance within the DoW (DOD) markets. By acting as a bridge between the commercial tech sector and the defense establishment, agile integrators like MAG ensure the warfighter has access to the latest capabilities on relevant timelines.

MAG’s hybrid, technology-agnostic business model enables it to work with the largest military OEMs, while avoiding vendor lock-in, to deliver large programs while accelerating deployment to the field and maximizing customer mission success. Solutions that require novel and state-of-the-art technologies with niche partners gives MAG the ability to continuously improve solutions with innovation. MAG experts are on the leading edge of technological advances, which enables MAG to rapidly prototype, integrate, and connect joint, next generation capabilities across Air, Land, Maritime, Space and Cyberspace Domains. [3]

MAG employs about 1,700 personnel and records over $750 million in annual sales. [4]

Focused on making the world smaller and safer, MAG is defined by the core values of Serve. Win. Perform. [5]

History

MAG Aerospace was founded in 2009 by Joe Fluet. [6]

Joe Fluet traded in his courthouse business attire for combat battle dress and deployed to Afghanistan with a mission: to build an Afghan Air Force. While deployed, he saw firsthand the critical role Aerial ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) played in the success of the mission, providing real-time situational awareness that saved lives, time, and resources. Five years later, Joe recruited Joe Paull, France Hoang, Sam Sblendorio, and Matt Bartlett — proven operators with business acumen honed at some of the most well-respected aerospace companies in the industry — and together they set out to build an Aerial ISR company that everyone wants to work with, for, and through. MAG partnered with the Clairvest Group in 2013 when they made a minority investment in the company. MAG later partnered with New Mountain Capital in 2018. [7]

MAG has become the leading systems integrator and an independent provider of manned and unmanned full-spectrum outsourced C5ISR services, with 1,700+ employees operating 200+ intelligence platforms over 525,000 ISR flight hours on 6 continents. MAG offers turnkey C5ISR services (ISR Operations, ISR Training, ISR Technical Services) and other specialty aviation through a technology-agnostic approach to government, international, and commercial customers globally. MAG has secured diverse contracts with highly sought after customers across multiple end markets. [8]

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, [9] MAG Aerospace acquired four companies over the two years of 2017 and 2018. [10] [11]

In 2018, former Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker joined MAG Aerospace's board of directors. [12]

In 2019, General (Ret.) Charles R. Holland joined MAG Aerospace's board of directors. [13]

In 2019, Major General (Ret.) Tim Crosby joined MAG Aerospace's board of directors. [14]

In 2023, General (Ret.) Stephen J. Townsend has joined the company Advisory Board. [15]

In 2024, Vice Admiral (Ret’d) Paul Maddison RCN to joined MAG's Advisory Board. [16]

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. [17]

In 2021, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali contracted US-based MAG Aerospace to provide fixed wing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. [18] 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. [19] The two companies will help the Space Force analyze data from their radars and sensors. [19] [20] MAG was one of 18 other companies to be chosen for the Space Force contract. [21]

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. [22] [23] In the same month, MAG did a series of tests with Gogo Business Aviation using their electronically steered antenna (ESA). [24]

Acquisitions

The company acquired BOSH Global Services in August 2015, [25] followed by Dover Vantage, a remote services company, in 2016. [26] In 2017, it purchased Avenge, a company specializing in manned ISR training and operations. [26] [27]

In June 2018, the company purchased Florida-based North American Surveillance Systems Inc (NASS). [28] In August of that year, the company acquired the southern Maryland defense contractor Ausley Associates. [29]

Recognition

In 2025, MAG Aerospace was nominated to the DCA Live Red Hot List as one of the fastest-growing companies in the DC area. [30]

In 2019, MAG Aerospace won a Moxie award in the GovCon category. [31]

In 2017, MAG Aerospace had the #779 spot on the Inc. 5000. [32]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Serve. Win. Perform". MAG. December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  2. ↑ "MAG Aerospace Announces Leadership Changes in Corporate Development, Strategy, and Marketing" (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Serve. Win. Perform". MAG. December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  4. ↑ "MAG Aerospace looks for adjacencies as it plots growth path". Inside Defense. September 24, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  5. ↑ "MAG Aerospace | LinkedIn". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "MAG Mission: History & Growth | MAG Aerospace". MAG. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  8. ↑ "MAG Mission: History & Growth | MAG Aerospace". MAG. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  9. ↑ Rawlings, John (June 7, 2018). "MAG Aerospace Partners with New Mountain Capital". New Mountain Capital. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ Wilkers, Ross (June 14, 2018). "MAG Aerospace gets backing from PE firm New Mountain". Washington Technology . Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Former Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker Joins MAG Aerospace Board of Directors" (Press release).
  13. ↑ "Charles R. Holland | Board Director | Leadership | MAG Aerospace". MAG. September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Tim Crosby | Board Director | Leadership | MAG Aerospace". MAG. May 16, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  15. ↑ Gazin, George (November 9, 2023). "MAG Aerospace Welcomes Retired General Stephen J. Townsend to its Advisory Board | MAG Aerospace". MAG. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  16. ↑ Gazin, George (April 22, 2024). "MAG Welcomes Retired Vice Admiral Paul Maddison to Advisory Board | MAG Aerospace". MAG. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Elite drone and attack helicopter task force still hunts Taliban in Afghanistan". Fox News. May 2, 2019.
  18. ↑ "MAG Aerospace awarded UN contract for ISR aircraft in Mali". October 14, 2021.
  19. 1 2 SpaceRef (September 7, 2023). "SAS supports MAG Aerospace on $900M Space Force contract". SpaceNews. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  20. ↑ "SAS supports MAG Aerospace on $900M Space Force contract". www.sas.com. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  21. ↑ Erwin, Sandra (September 6, 2023). "MAG Aerospace and SAS partner for Space Force data-analytics contract". SpaceNews. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  22. ↑ "MAG Aerospace and Parallel Flight Technologies Partner to Expand UAS Capabilities for Expeditionary Logistics | UAS Magazine". uasmagazine.com. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  23. ↑ "MAG Aerospace and Parallel Flight Technologies Partner to Expand UAS Capabilities for Expeditionary Logistics". Santa Cruz Works. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Gogo and MAG Aerospace Complete Flight Trials of Plane Simple ESA System | AIN". Aviation International News. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  25. ↑ Peck, Michael (August 27, 2015). "Momentum Aviation Group acquires BOSH". C4ISRNet. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  26. 1 2 Censer, Marjorie (September 24, 2018). "MAG Aerospace looks for adjacencies as it plots growth path". insidedefense.com. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  27. ↑ Blinde, Loren (November 12, 2017). "MAG Aerospace acquires Avenge, Incorporated". Intelligence Community News. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  28. ↑ Maake, Katishi (August 27, 2018). "MAG Aerospace acquires Navy defense contractor" . Washington Business Journal. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  29. ↑ "MAG Aerospace Adds Navy Work Through Ausley Purchase; Joe Fluet Quoted". GovCon Wire. August 27, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  30. ↑ "2025 Red Hot GovCon". DCA Live. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Moxie Award 2019 Finalists". Moxie Award. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  32. ↑ "MAG Aerospace". Inc.
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