Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW) Business Profile

What it does

Curtiss-Wright supplies engineered products and services used in defense, commercial aerospace, nuclear power and industrial applications. Its customers include defense prime contractors, aircraft manufacturers, energy companies and manufacturers. The company is headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, and its chair and chief executive officer is Lynn M. Bamford.

The company operates through three segments. Aerospace & Industrial makes sensors, controls and motion-control components for aircraft and other applications, and treats metal surfaces to improve their properties. It also supplies electronics and controls used in industrial and specialty vehicles. Defense Electronics provides computing equipment, flight-test instruments, communications systems and other electronics for military aircraft, vehicles and ships.

Naval & Power supplies pumps, motors, valves and other equipment for naval vessels, including nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers. It also repairs and maintains ships for the U.S. Navy. In commercial nuclear power, the segment supplies equipment and services for operating reactors and for new plants under construction. Its process businesses provide valves, heat-exchanger repair and other products for industrial customers.

Many of the company’s products are used in safety-critical applications. Curtiss-Wright also provides services over the life of equipment, including maintenance, repair, technology updates and surface treatments. At the end of FY2025, it had approximately 9,100 employees in more than 20 countries.

How it makes money

Curtiss-Wright earns revenue by selling equipment and components and by performing services for customers across its end markets. In FY2025, product revenue was $3.0 billion and service revenue was $521.1 million.

Aerospace & Industrial sells components such as sensors and electro-mechanical actuators to commercial and military customers. Its surface-treatment services include shot peening, laser peening and engineered coatings, which are used on aircraft and other components. Aircraft manufacturers’ production rates affect the commercial aerospace business, while the segment’s industrial activities are influenced by general economic conditions.

Defense Electronics sells embedded computing modules, processing equipment, flight-test instruments, tactical communications and other systems. Its products appear on aircraft, ground vehicles, ships and submarines. The segment also provides lifecycle management services and technology refreshes; its defense businesses generally sell through regulated government contracting channels.

Naval & Power sells propulsion and auxiliary equipment for U.S. Navy programs and performs ship repair and maintenance. Its commercial nuclear business supplies both existing reactors and new plants. Most of its current revenue in the power market supports maintenance of nuclear reactors in North America, while new-build products include reactor coolant pumps and control rod drive mechanisms. The segment also sells specialized valves and repair services to process industries.

Curtiss-Wright competes primarily on technology and pricing. Government business includes fixed-price contracts under which the company generally absorbs most cost overruns. Long-term government contracts can require it to carry inventory, although progress payments and interim billing can reduce the working capital needed. Ongoing reactor maintenance, ship services and electronics technology refreshes provide opportunities to serve customers after equipment is installed.

Customers and how it sells

Curtiss-Wright has hundreds of customers across its markets. They include U.S. government agencies, defense prime contractors, commercial aircraft manufacturers, nuclear plant operators and industrial companies. No customer accounted for more than 10% of total net sales in 2025. Approximately 47% of 2025 sales came from contracts with U.S. government agencies and prime contractors; sales for U.S. and foreign government end use represented 58% of total net sales that year.

The company sells to the U.S. government both directly and through subcontractors. Defense Electronics and the defense activities of Naval & Power typically use regulated government contracting channels. Commercial businesses generally use commercial sales and marketing channels. Boeing and Airbus are primary customers in commercial aerospace, where demand is tied to new aircraft production.

In FY2025, the United Kingdom contributed $197.5 million, while other foreign countries contributed $752.6 million. The company’s principal manufacturing facilities include sites in several U.S. states, as well as Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Its commercial nuclear business also supports operating reactors in the United Kingdom and South Korea.

Suppliers and costs

Curtiss-Wright manufactures and tests products at facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Its Aerospace & Industrial processes include material modification, machining, assembly, testing and inspection. Defense products can require more rugged production processes and more stringent specifications than commercial products.

The company said supply-chain pressures increased in the first half of 2026. It has received an assurance of priority allocation from Micron, and it identified pressure on some rare-earth materials used in surface treatments. Curtiss-Wright is examining where it can use dual sources and is qualifying alternative powders with customers. Where materials cannot be changed, it said it is adjusting prices to reflect supply-chain pressure.

Costs also include research and development, manufacturing investment and inventory held for long-term government contracts. The company uses progress payments and other interim billing where allowed to reduce working capital requirements. On fixed-price government contracts, it generally absorbs most cost overruns. In the second quarter of 2026, the company said it was continuing to invest in research and development while benefiting from restructuring actions.

Competitive position

Curtiss-Wright competes globally primarily on technology and pricing. It was reported on 16 October 2026 that the company competes with TTM Technologies in aerospace and defense. Curtiss-Wright supplies products into several parts of that market, including aircraft components, naval equipment and defense electronics; the named competitor’s presence in the broader market does not identify a specific product-by-product overlap.

The company says its positions in its main markets are supported by engineering, precision manufacturing and longstanding customer relationships. Its products are used in safety-critical applications, and its defense electronics appear on more than 400 defense platforms and more than 3,000 programs worldwide. Curtiss-Wright also has content on every operating reactor in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and provides equipment and services for both existing and new nuclear plants.

Our reading: Engineering capabilities and demanding specifications can support a meaningful competitive position where customers need equipment to perform reliably in difficult environments. Our reading: Long customer relationships and equipment installed across platforms and reactors can support follow-on work, although that position does not remove competition on price. Our reading: The breadth of defense programs provides multiple customer opportunities, but the available evidence does not establish a market share or the strength of the company’s position against a particular rival.

Growth opportunities

Curtiss-Wright’s growth strategy combines development of its existing businesses with acquisitions. It plans to invest in research and development, expand manufacturing capabilities and sales channels, and apply technologies across defense and commercial markets. The company also says acquisitions remain a priority for capital deployment, alongside investment in its own facilities.

In defense, the company expects opportunities from naval shipbuilding, military aircraft and communications, and modernization of ground vehicles. Defense Electronics orders rose 47% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2026. The company said the order book included long-term production orders for ground-defense turret drive stabilization systems, although the timing of orders affects how quickly they become revenue.

In commercial aerospace, Curtiss-Wright expects growth to be tied to aircraft production rates and its work with manufacturers on current and future aircraft and engines. It is also applying commercial technology, including electro-mechanical actuation, to defense applications.

In nuclear power, the company serves existing reactors and is pursuing equipment work for new plants and advanced small modular reactor designs. Curtiss-Wright said in the second quarter of 2026 that it expected its first AP1000 order that year. The company also sees opportunities to use its capabilities in conventional power generation and to develop subsea pumping technology for oil and gas customers. These activities sit alongside its established maintenance and repair work.

Structural risks

• Government funding and contracts: Defense sales depend on government spending and program funding. Government customers can terminate contracts, contract wins can be contested, and follow-on production may be cancelled if development requirements are not met.

• Cost and schedule overruns: Long-term, fixed-price contracts require the company to forecast costs and schedules. Curtiss-Wright generally absorbs most overruns on fixed-price contracts, and bidding before designs are complete can lead to unforeseen technical difficulties.

• Supply availability: The company said supply-chain pressures increased in the first half of 2026, including pressure on rare-earth materials used in surface treatment. Alternative materials may require customer qualification, and some materials cannot be changed.

• Product and cyber liabilities: Failure of a product could cause injury, death or property damage. Supplier indemnities and insurance may not fully cover the company’s obligations to customers. Intrusion into its systems could also damage its business.

• Acquisitions and markets: Curtiss-Wright may have difficulty finding, financing or integrating acquisitions, retaining their customers and employees, or realizing expected benefits. Its commercial businesses are also exposed to economic conditions, aircraft production rates and foreign currency fluctuations.

Bottom line

Our reading

Curtiss-Wright is an equipment and services supplier whose business rests on engineered components used in defense platforms, aircraft and nuclear facilities. Its established customer relationships and installed equipment can support follow-on work, while its exposure to government funding, fixed-price contract costs and supply availability remains significant. Growth depends on both production programs and the company’s ability to turn development and acquisition spending into customer work.