Fort Worth aerospace companies spotlight aircraft at a UK airshow. How did sales go? 18%
By Eric E. Garcia21%
7/31/2026, 2:30:00 PM
Topics: Aerospace Industry, Defense Industry, International Trade, Military Technology, Business Development
Keywords: Aerospace, Defense Contractors, Farnborough International Airshow, Lockheed Martin, Bell Textron, F 35a Fighter Jet, Mv 75 Cheyenne Helicopter, Military Aircraft, Drone Killer, Patriot Missile, Morfius X Rotor, Corporate Helicopters, Bell 407gxi, Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, Economic Development, Texas
BS Summary: This article contains 16 faulty reasoning types, including Self-Serving Bias, Optimism Bias, and Halo Effect, with Attempt to Sell a Product or Service as the most egregious example at 28.7% saturation with 365 hits. Analysis detected 1,371 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,271 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 28.7% and a BS Rank of 18% (20,805 of 25,289 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 82.30% of the article peer group.
Lockheed Martin’s F-35A fighter jet was displayed at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom.
(Courtesy | 2026 Farnborough International Airshow)
A Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jet showed its aerial prowess with a vibrant display of its capabilities, including a near-vertical rise into the sky.
Meanwhile, a mockup of a new Bell Textron MV-75 Cheyenne military helicopter under development attracted interest from global customers.
The two Fort Worth defense contractors were among the hundreds of aerospace companies that showcased their innovative aircraft and military products on a global stage at the recent 2026 Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom.
The biannual air show, which organizers said attracted leading innovators in the aerospace and defense industries, garnered more than 140,000 visitors this year, including more than 1,400 exhibitors from 41 countries.
The show, held June 17-20, generated more than $84.7 billion in business, officials said.
Texas economic development staff, including those from Fort Worth, were also at the 2026 show.
“Farnborough was a successful show for Bell and an opportunity to showcase the capability the MV-75 provides for the U.S.
Army, allies, and partners,” a company spokesperson told the Fort Worth Report.
“Bell is seeing some international interest in the platform and looks forward to pursuing further.”
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said the airshow was good for the company’s business.
“The Farnborough International Airshow provided a great opportunity to meet with customers and others interested in the full spectrum of Lockheed Martin capabilities,” the spokesperson said.
“This gives us a great opportunity to learn about their national security challenges and share how we can best support them.”
During the UK airshow, Lockheed Martin Corp. debuted new products, including a new drone killer and the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector, intended to be a low-cost interceptor to defeat a wide range of air and missile threats, officials said.
The new Patriot missile’s debut came a week before the U.S. government awarded Lockheed Martin a 7-year, $59 billion contract to advance missile production and triple capacity by the end of 2030.
That contract, following a $4.7 billion contract in April, will mean a 50% increase in jobs at the company’s Camden, Arkansas, production facility.
President Donald Trump has called for defense contractors to bolster the U.S. production of armaments after military conflicts in Iran and Ukraine diminished the supply.
Lockheed Martin also unveiled its reusable MORFIUS X-Rotor high-powered microwave interceptor that can reportedly neutralize more than 50 drones in flight.
“MORFIUS sets a new benchmark for counter-drone capability — delivering a high kill rate while keeping the cost per kill low,” said Randy Crites, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Advanced Programs.
“By leveraging a lightweight, field reusable high-power microwave architecture, we provide the most effective, low-cost solution on the market today and demonstrate Lockheed Martin’s ability to field innovative, affordable technologies at the speed our American and allied troops need.”
The company also advanced new partnerships at the airshow, officials said.
Earlier this month, the company reported second quarter 2026 sales of $20.1 billion, compared to $18.2 billion in the second quarter of 2025.
The company’s Fort Worth-based aeronautics division reported $8.1 billion in sales for the 2026 second quarter, up from $7.5 billion during the same period in 2025.
The U.S. government awarded a $1.6 billion contract for F-35 spare parts on July 23 to increase operational readiness for the Fort Worth-assembled fighter jet.
Fort Worth-based Bell highlighted its business helicopter models with a display at the company’s pavilion during the international airshow.
Executives participated in a media roundtable that focused on advanced manufacturing and defense strategies.
A rendering shows how the Bell MV-75 helicopter would operate in combat.
(Courtesy | Bell Textron)
Company officials said the MV‑75’s combination of speed and range increases flexibility and gives commanders options previously unavailable.
“The fact that the platform requires less logistics and support to operate in a similar geographic area [than the current fleet] is incredibly advantageous to us.”
U.S.
Army Col.
Tyler Partridge, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade Commander, said in a statement.
Bell announced a significant milestone at the airshow with the company’s first UK order for Bell’s 407GXi corporate helicopter that launched in 2025.
The company also delivered its 700th Bell 505 Jet Ranger X light helicopter to a private operator.
“Our team is honored to celebrate this signing and expand our Bell 407GXi offerings to customers in the United Kingdom,” Robin Wendling, Bell’s managing director of European operations, said in a statement.
“The Bell 407GXi has earned its name as a multi-mission workhorse, and we continue to see steady interest in the Bell 407GXi platform across the region.”
Fort Worth-based Bell Textron delivered its 700th Bell 505 Jet Ranger X light helicopter to a private operator at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow.
(Courtesy | Bell Textron)
The delivery of a Bell 505 helicopter shows the growing popularity in the corporate aircraft segment.
“The Bell 505 is an incredible multi‑mission aircraft, and we continue to see operators choosing this platform to join their fleet,” Wendling said.
Earlier this month, Bell reported that its revenue was up 6% to $1.1 billion in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year when the company made about $58 million less.
Bell’s parent company, Textron Inc., reported higher revenue in the second quarter of 2026 to about $3.9 billion, compared to the second quarter of 2025 when revenue hit about $3.8 billion.
Lisa M.
Atherton, the former Bell CEO and president who took over as Textron CEO in January, said the second quarter continues a strong start of the year for the company.
“Bell continued to advance the MV-75 Cheyenne with the successful production of key long-lead parts and components,” Atherton said in a statement.
Bell’s increase was attributed to higher military revenues of $47 million, due to high volume on H-1 aircraft production and the MV-75 program.
Commercial helicopters, parts and services were also up, the company said.
Bell delivered 36 commercial helicopters in the second quarter of 2026, compared to 32 in last year’s second quarter.
Textron said the company’s segments saw a profit decline of 6% from last year’s second quarter, “primarily due to an unfavorable impact from program performance and from the mix of military programs, partially offset by lower research and development costs.”
In June, Bell laid off 285 employees — about 3% of the company’s workforce — at three facilities in Fort Worth, Amarillo and Wichita, Kansas.
In addition, Bell announced a three-week furlough for certain employees beginning June 15.
Bell said the staffing decision was difficult, but necessary for the company’s long-term business.
On July 24, Bell was awarded a $34 million defense contract for H-1 aircraft parts and hardware for the Marine Corps.
AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopter fleet.
About 58% of the work will be done in Fort Worth with about 2% completed in Mansfield, according to the contract .
Texas was on the world stage during the airshow, economic development officials said.
“As the Farnborough International Airshow came to a close, it was clear that Texas’ global reach continues to grow,” officials with the Texas Economic Development Corp. said in a social media post.
“The connections made last week will help shape new opportunities for years to come.”
Eric E.
Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report.
Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org .
At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters.
Read more about our editorial independence policy here .
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.