# Defense News: Oshkosh partners with Grid Aero on Lifter production

Defense News reports Grid Aero will initially handle low-rate production while Oshkosh establishes a pilot line, with production shifting to Oshkosh as customer demand grows.

Published 2026-11-02 by TGOs. Canonical: https://tgos.io/news/2026/11/02/defense-news-oshkosh-partners-with-grid-aero-on-lifter/

Oshkosh Defense is helping Grid Aero reconfigure its Lifter aircraft for manufacturability, Defense News reports.[3] Lifter’s metal construction helped attract Oshkosh because it aligns with the company’s manufacturing capabilities.[3]

Oshkosh would technically be considered a subcontractor, though the companies describe the arrangement as a partnership.[3] Grid Aero will initially handle low-rate production while Oshkosh establishes a pilot line.[3] Oshkosh Defense Chief Growth Officer Logan Jones told Defense News production would move to Oshkosh in stages as customer demand grows.[3]

Grid Aero CEO Arthur Dubois told Breaking Defense he expects a pilot line at Oshkosh in roughly a year.[2] He estimated another six to 12 months of testing for Lifter prototypes.[2] He described a goal of producing hundreds, if not thousands, of aircraft by the early 2030s.[2] The partnership announcement identifies no government order.[1]

## Why it matters

The path to higher output begins with the airframe and its parts: Dubois told Breaking Defense the companies will revisit Lifter’s design and assess which components they can buy in volume.[2]

## Sources

1. Oshkosh Defense release <https://oshkoshdefense.com/oshkosh-defense-and-grid-aero-announce-strategic-partnership/>
2. Breaking Defense <https://breakingdefense.com/2026/11/oshkosh-steps-into-larger-uas-space-with-new-grid-aero-partnership/>
3. Defense News <https://www.defensenews.com/industry/techwatch/2026/11/02/oshkosh-partners-with-startup-to-build-military-drones/>