ENDICOTT, N.Y. — BAE Systems says it will provide and integrate actuator control units (ACUs) for JetZero’s next-generation blended wing body aircraft demonstrator.

The Long Beach, California–based company’s demonstrator is designed to “deliver enhanced energy efficiency and reduced emissions,” per the BAE Systems announcement.

BAE’s locations in Endicott in Broome County and in Fort Wayne, Indiana will design and produce the ACUs, the company said.

BAE Systems specializes in flight-control technology with more than 40 years of experience designing and certifying fly-by-wire systems for commercial and military

platforms. Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of UK–based BAE Systems plc, a global defense, security, and aerospace company.

As part of the flight-control system, BAE Systems’ ACUs interpret flight-control signals, including pilot commands from active-control sticks, which the company will also provide for the demonstrator. The advanced ACUs function as remote actuators within a distributed flight control system, BAE Systems noted.

The units’ localized flight surface management capabilities “deliver enhanced flight control with reliable, precise coordination and responsiveness,” per the company announcement.

“Our mature, highly capable actuator control units play a vital role in our shared vision of sustainable aviation with JetZero, seamlessly integrating with the flight control system,” Gary Battestin, director of air transport systems for controls and avionics Solutions at BAE Systems, said in the announcement. “This technology enhances overall flight performance, supporting a cleaner and more efficient future for air travel.”

By providing both the ACUs and the pilot-control inceptors, BAE Systems says it will minimize the integration time for the aircraft. The actuation controllers are “proven, reliable, and previously certified systems” that reduce customer risk, “reinforcing the company’s leadership in stick-to-surface flight control solutions, from pilot input to surface response,” the company said.