FEBRUARY 2026AEROSPACEDEFENSEREVIEW.COM7EditorialEscalating program complexity across aerospace and defense is redefining what operational reliability truly demands. This edition examines how precision engineering, integrated systems thinking, and disciplined execution are shaping mission readiness across air, land, and space.At the center of this issue, Innovative Hydraulics, recipient of the Top Defense Hydraulic Cylinders Designs and Manufacturer 2026 award, demonstrates how complex motion requires complex engineering. Rather than supplying catalog components, the company engineers highly customized cylinders built to withstand extreme loads, environmental exposure, and exacting tolerances. From modernizing NASA's crawler transporter systems to supporting demanding defense platforms, its approach integrates design, machining, welding, and testing under one roof to ensure performance where failure is not an option.Beyond hydraulics, this edition recognizes companies strengthening the industry's operational backbone. PSI Cases, honored for Military Signature Management Systems of the Year 2026, advances protective packaging into fully engineered, MIL-compliant integration systems that deliver field-ready deployment. AIMS, awarded Top Aviation Crew Management Service 2026, provides airlines with a unified operational platform that aligns crew, aircraft, compliance, and cost control through a single real-time data environment. Sunnen, named Top Aerospace Precision Machine Service 2026, addresses tightening tolerance demands through automated honing systems that reduce reliance on vanishing manual expertise while preserving dimensional accuracy. Meanwhile, Top Notch Finders, Buyers Choice Aerospace Executive Search Company of the Year 2026, introduces neuroscience-validated talent intelligence to identify adaptable, future-ready aerospace leadership.Complementing these achievements, Shelli Brunswick, CSBJ Women of Influence, at Space Foundation, underscores the expansion of space manufacturing and the urgency of workforce development. Mark Notarfrancesco, Vice President, Industrial Services at Woodward, reinforces the role of tribological science and metrology discipline in extending component life and performance predictability.Collectively, the organizations featured here reflect a sector advancing through rigor, integration, and forward engineering. The path ahead belongs to those who design for complexity and execute with certainty.Innovative Engineering Solutions for Tomorrow's MissionsJonathan AllredManaging Editorjonathan@aerospacedefensereview.comCopyright © 2026 ValleyMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the magazine and accordingly, no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof.FEBRUARY 2026, Vol 08 - Issue 03, ISSN 2691-395XValleyMedia, Inc.To subscribe to Aerospace & Defense ReviewVisit www.aerospacedefensereview.comManaging Editor Jonathan AllredEditorial StaffAndrea FrancisJohn SmithRosalind JacobsJem ElizabethRichard Taylor Surajit Narayan DekaVisualizersCelestial JordanYenny Turner*All Insights are based on the interviews with respective CIOs and CXOs to our editorial staffEmailsales@aerospacedefensereview.comeditor@aerospacedefensereview.commarketing@aerospacedefensereview.com
< Page 6 | Page 8 >