{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-26/qarbon-aerospace-b-1b-lancer-contract","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-26/qarbon-aerospace-b-1b-lancer-contract.md","title":"Qarbon Aerospace Wins B-1B Lancer Composite Contract","headline":"Qarbon Aerospace Awarded B-1B Lancer Contract to Build Composite Structures","description":"Qarbon Aerospace won a competitively bid contract to manufacture composite structures for the U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer.","section":"Contracts & Customers","published_at":"2026-10-26T14:49:09+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-26T14:49:09+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["Qarbon Aerospace was awarded a competitively bid contract to manufacture composite structures for the U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer program.","The work moves composite structures from NIAR's research environment into prototype production at Qarbon's facilities.","Qarbon formed a strategic collaboration with Wichita State University's NIAR in October 2025, and the new statement of work puts that collaboration into action."],"companies":[{"name":"Qarbon Aerospace","is_primary":true,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000a3pu/qarbon-aerospace","website":"https://qarbonaerospace.com"}],"source":{"publisher":"Business Wire","title":"Qarbon Aerospace Awarded Contract to Support U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer Program","url":"https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261026458146/en/"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Contracts & Customers","Qarbon Aerospace"],"body_markdown":"[Qarbon Aerospace](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000a3pu/qarbon-aerospace) has been awarded a contract in support of the U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer program, manufacturing composite structures for Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research. The competitively bid award was announced by [Business Wire](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261026458146/en/). Qarbon is a Tier-1 provider of advanced aerostructures and assemblies.\n\n## Qarbon's B-1B Composite Structures Work\n\nUnder the contract, Qarbon will use its large-scale manufacturing capabilities to produce composite structures for the B-1B Lancer program. The B-1B has served as a cornerstone of U.S. strategic defense for decades, and the contract reflects Qarbon's role as a manufacturing partner for critical platforms in the U.S. defense industry.\n\nThe agreement builds directly on the strategic collaboration between Qarbon and NIAR announced in late 2025, which combined NIAR's expertise in design, analysis, prototyping, certification, and manufacturing process development with Qarbon's track record in producing large, complex composite and metallic structures and assemblies for aerospace OEMs. The statement of work moves composite structures from NIAR's research environment into prototype production at Qarbon's facilities.\n\n\"The B-1B has been critical to America's long-range strike mission for decades, and Qarbon is proud to support it,\" said Michael Canario, Chief Executive Officer of Qarbon Aerospace. \"We established our partnership with NIAR to bring advanced aerostructures manufacturing to programs like this, and that is exactly what we are doing.\"\n\nJohn Tomblin, WSU executive vice president for Research and Industry and Defense Programs and NIAR executive director, said the collaboration combines NIAR's advanced research with Qarbon's production expertise to strengthen the U.S. Air Force's long-range strike readiness.\n\n## Qarbon's NIAR Collaboration and Defense Record\n\nAccording to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Qarbon formed a strategic collaboration with Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research in October 2025 to advance research, innovation, and manufacturing of next-generation aerostructures for defense, space, and commercial aerospace. The same records show Qarbon received a $3.7 million Department of Defense award in 2024 through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program to design and manufacture advanced lightweight continuous fiber thermoplastic composite structures for national defense aviation applications. Qarbon also achieved CMMC Level 2 certification in 2025, following assessment by Redspin.\n\n## Earlier Qarbon Defense Contracts\n\nIn July 2026, Qarbon secured a contract to manufacture composite structures for sustaining the U.S. Air Force's F-22 Raptor fleet, expanding its role in the fifth-generation fighter program beyond earlier work producing horizontal stabilizers during the aircraft's development in the early 2000s, [The Defense Post](https://akta.pro/news-signals) reported. That same month, Qarbon announced the expansion of its Red Oak, Texas headquarters with a new 55,000 square foot classified manufacturing space designed to meet U.S. government ICD 705 requirements, including a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility.\n\n## What Comes Next for Qarbon\n\nQarbon's statement of work puts the NIAR collaboration into action, moving composite structures into prototype production at its facilities. The company's [own announcement](https://qarbonaerospace.com) describes the contract as adding another critical program to its portfolio of advanced defense work.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}