Boeing [BA] on Wednesday completed its acquisition of Aurora Flight Sciences, boosting its ability to more quickly develop autonomous technologies for flight.
Terms of the deal, which was first announced in early October, were not disclosed. Aurora will retain its name and independent operating model, functioning as a subsidiary under Boeing Engineering, Test & Technology.
The acquisition isn’t material to Boeing’s financial guidance, but it does help position the company for potential changes ahead in how aircraft operate, both commercial and military.
Last month, when Boeing first announced the deal, Greg Hyslop, head of the company’s Engineering, Test & Technology operations, said “it’s hard to predict where the future is going but I think we know where the vectors’ pointed, and we want to be ready as the technology matures and take full advantage of that in our products.”
Aurora, which has 550 employees and operates at five locations in the U.S. and one in Switzerland, has developed unmanned aircraft technology for the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, an optionally piloted aircraft for potential short haul passenger and cargo applications, and has partnered with NASA on a future commercial aircraft design that is aimed at dramatically reducing fuel consumption. The company is also developing electric propulsion technology for aircraft.