Aerospace belongs to agile innovators. In today’s aviation and aerospace economy the future doesn’t belong to slow-moving defense giants. It belongs to small, agile innovators who can outmaneuver entrenched incumbents,The most transformative breakthroughs often happen beyond the public eye — above commercial flight lanes and far below the radar of mainstream coverage.
Yet in today’s defense and aerospace economy, small companies face daunting challenges in bringing those breakthroughs to life. Government contracts overwhelmingly flow to the largest prime contractors, while smaller innovators are left to self-finance R&D, fight for talent, and compete against entrenched incumbents with political leverage and guaranteed defense budgets.
Some chase venture-style “build-to-flip” exits, while others struggle with bespoke integration demands that slow down commercialization.
One company pushing through these headwinds is Swift Engineering. Its record-breaking, solar-powered high-altitude glider is designed to fly at 67,000 feet for days at a time — doing what satellites can’t: hold a fixed position, deliver real-time intelligence, and land on a runway. All at just 1% of the cost of satellite operations.
In this episode of The Aerospace Executive Podcast, host and Executive Recruiter Craig Picken talks witt Swift President Hamed Khalkhali explains why the story isn’t just about technical excellence — it’s about navigating the strategic, funding, and talent challenges that define which aerospace innovators survive.
Aerospace belongs to agile innovators!
Key Insights You’ll Learn
- Why a solar UAV at 67,000 feet outperforms satellites at a fraction of the cost.
- System integration as the next frontier of aerospace innovation.
- The funding squeeze forcing small firms to self-finance R&D.
- The “moral accuracy” gap shaping U.S. drone strategy.
- How new graduates often drive bigger breakthroughs than industry veterans.
- Ways to preserve startup creativity inside larger aerospace organizations.