AE Industrial Partners Closes $1.28 Billion Fund III for Aerospace and Defense

AE Industrial Partners, a private equity firm specializing in national security, aerospace, and industrial services, has closed its third flagship private equity fund, AE Industrial Partners Fund III, LP, with total capital commitments of $1.28 billion. The fund will focus on making control investments in the aerospace and defense supply chains and supporting industry suppliers to meet increased demand.

The commitments came from a diverse mix of institutional investors from the U.S. and around the world. AEI has already deployed over a quarter of Fund III into five platforms and three add-on investments. These include York Space Systems, RedLattice, Firefly Aerospace, Yingling Aviation, and Calca Solutions.

Fund III has also offered nearly $870 million of co-investment to limited partners and other investors. AEI’s investment approach centers on identifying companies with strong growth potential and specialized capabilities, with a balance of organic and acquisition-based growth. AE Industrial Partners is a private investment firm with $6.2 billion of assets under management focused on specialized markets including national security, aerospace, and industrial services. The firm has completed over 130 investments in market-leading companies and invests across private equity, venture capital, and aerospace leasing.