Grid Aero, an aerospace startup building the world’s most resilient autonomous air cargo network, and A2G International, a trusted leader in manned and unmanned aircraft operations and ISR support, today announced a strategic partnership to deliver integrated autonomous logistics and intelligence capabilities for defense and commercial customers operating in contested and remote locations.
“At Grid, our approach has always been to collaborate with companies that are the best at what they do rather than try to build everything in-house,” said Brandon Florian, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Grid Aero. “A2G brings real-world mission experience in exactly the environments where our platform needs to operate. By integrating their ISR capabilities and flight operations expertise with Lifter Lite, we’re creating a complete solution—cargo, logistics, surveillance and mission execution in one autonomous platform.”
The partnership will focus on combining Grid Aero’s low-cost autonomous cargo platform with A2G’s surveillance and operational expertise to develop dual-use concepts that address emerging operational challenges in increasingly distributed and remote missions. Initial collaboration will explore integrating ISR capabilities onto Grid Aero’s Lifter Lite, creating a dual-capability platform that delivers cargo while providing real-time surveillance to reduce operational complexity and cost.
“As threats and mission requirements evolve to become more remote, contested, and distributed, A2G is aligning with partners like Grid Aero to stay ahead of the curve,” said Scott McPhee, Chief Operating Officer at A2G. “Our value has always been helping clients operate in austere conditions with minimal footprint. Grid’s low-cost, heavy payload, autonomous platform opens new possibilities, but what makes this partnership work is combining their technology with A2G’s experienced mission operators and flight operations teams. It’s not just another piece of technology, it’s a complete, mission-ready capability.”
Beyond the initial ISR integration, the companies will explore additional applications including networked sensor operations, expeditionary logistics support, and rapid deployment scenarios where traditional crewed aircraft are impractical or unavailable.
About Grid Aero
Founded in 2024 and based in San Leandro, CA, Grid Aero is pioneering the future of autonomous cargo logistics with rugged, long-range aircraft built for scale and resilience. The company’s mission is to enable a smarter, more distributed global logistics network across defense and commercial sectors alike. Learn more at: www.grid.aero
About A2G International
A2G International specializes in turnkey airborne ISR solutions using both manned and unmanned platforms. With proprietary secure communications technology, A2G delivers real-time intelligence data to customers worldwide, supporting defense, security, and commercial operations with minimal ground infrastructure requirements. Learn more at: www.a2gintl.com.
