What Is Curtiss-Wright? America’s Multi-Domain Defense Electronics Company
Bringing together two legendary names of aviation under one roof, Curtiss-Wright was once the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States. Today it builds the “invisible” electronic and mechanical brains of dozens of platforms, from fighter jets to nuclear submarines.
Table of Contents
- What Is It?
- Key Facts / Business Areas
- Markets / User Countries
- Competitors
- Turkish Alternatives
- FAQ
- Sources
What Is It?
Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a long-established American defense and industrial technology company whose roots reach back to the birth of U.S. aviation. It was formed in 1929 through the merger of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, founded by Glenn Curtiss (known as the “father of naval aviation”), and Wright Aeronautical, the company linked to the Wright Brothers who made history’s first powered flight. One of the largest aircraft and engine manufacturers in the U.S. during World War II, the company later shifted its strategy, exited aircraft production entirely, and reinvented itself as a maker of high-technology critical components.
Today the company is a publicly traded group headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CW. With roughly 8,600 employees, Curtiss-Wright reported around USD 3.12 billion in revenue in 2024 and approximately USD 3.5 billion in 2025. It operates through three main business segments: Aerospace & Industrial, Defense Electronics, and Naval & Power.
The company is best known in the defense field for its “rugged” embedded computing systems, engineered to withstand extreme temperature, vibration and shock. Curtiss-Wright builds these products by transforming commercial processor technologies (COTS) into platforms that meet military standards (MIL-spec) and open system architectures (MOSA / OpenVPX); these systems handle data processing, video, sensor fusion and recording aboard fighter aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. Its Naval & Power arm has for decades been a critical supplier of pumps, valves, motors and generators for the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines.
Key Facts / Business Areas
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1929 (merger of Curtiss Aeroplane + Wright Aeronautical) |
| Headquarters | Davidson, North Carolina, USA |
| Stock ticker | NYSE: CW |
| Employees | ~8,600 (up to ~9,100 per some sources) |
| Revenue (2024) | ~USD 3.12 billion |
| Revenue (2025) | ~USD 3.5 billion |
| Segments | Aerospace & Industrial, Defense Electronics, Naval & Power |
| Defense electronics products | Single board computers (SBC), FPGA processor cards, ADC/DAC modules, I/O & communications boards, video/graphics cards, data recorders |
| System solutions | C5ISR, open architecture (OpenVPX/MOSA), flight test and avionics instrumentation, storage and recorders, enclosures and consoles, stabilization/motion control |
| Naval & Power | Nuclear main coolant pumps, valves, generators, motors (U.S. Navy nuclear fleet and commercial nuclear plants) |
| Notable program | Mission computer for the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III flight deck modernization |
Note: Curtiss-Wright is not a “weapon system” but a maker of subsystems and components embedded inside many platforms. The table therefore summarizes the company’s technical business areas rather than a single product.
Markets / User Countries
| Market | Description |
|---|---|
| United States | Core market; Navy nuclear fleet, Air Force, Army and prime defense contractors |
| NATO and allied nations | Rugged embedded computing and C5ISR systems used in numerous NATO programs |
| United Kingdom | Defense electronics and naval solutions |
| Canada, Australia | Defense and avionics procurement programs |
| Commercial sector | Nuclear power plants, industry, civil aviation |
Because its products are mostly sold to end-platform manufacturers (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, etc.) for integration, the range of end-user countries spans all nations to which those platforms are exported.
Competitors
| Company | Country | Area of competition |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury Systems | USA | Rugged embedded computing, processing systems |
| Kontron AG | Germany | Embedded computing, tactical edge |
| Abaco Systems | USA | Defense electronics, open architecture boards |
| North Atlantic Industries (NAI) | USA | I/O and power solutions |
| Elma Electronic | Switzerland/USA | Enclosures, backplanes, system integration |
| Aitech | USA | Rugged computing systems |
| ADLINK Technology | Taiwan | Embedded computing platforms |
Turkish Alternatives
| Company | Field |
|---|---|
| ASELSAN | Defense electronics, C4ISR, embedded systems, avionics |
| HAVELSAN | Command & control, embedded software, simulation |
| Meteksan Defense | Radar, electro-optics, sensor systems |
| STM | Engineering, embedded systems, cyber security |
| AYESAŞ | Avionics computers and display systems |
| TÜBİTAK BİLGEM | Embedded systems and crypto/electronics solutions |
On the naval nuclear-propulsion component side there is no direct Turkish counterpart, though İŞBİR Elektrik and domestic industry solutions stand out in ship propulsion and electrical systems.
FAQ
Which country is Curtiss-Wright from?
It is a U.S.-based company, headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina.
Where does the name come from?
From the 1929 merger of the aviation companies of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright Brothers, uniting two pioneering names of American aviation.
Does Curtiss-Wright make aircraft?
No. It was a major aircraft manufacturer during World War II, but today it produces electronic and mechanical critical components used inside platforms rather than aircraft.
What are its main defense products?
Rugged embedded computers, FPGA and processor cards, C5ISR systems, flight data recorders, and pumps, valves and generators for the U.S. Navy’s nuclear fleet.
Is it publicly traded?
Yes, on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CW.
