Company Description
Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) is a global integrated business that provides highly engineered products, solutions and services mainly to aerospace and defense markets, as well as critical technologies in demanding commercial nuclear power, process and industrial markets. According to the company’s public statements, it focuses on developing, designing and building engineered offerings for customers that operate in mission-critical and highly regulated environments.
Building on the heritage of aviation pioneers Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, Curtiss-Wright highlights a long tradition of engineering-focused work and trusted customer relationships. The company describes itself as leveraging a workforce of thousands of highly skilled employees to deliver engineered technologies across its end markets.
Business Segments and Markets
Curtiss-Wright reports three primary segments aligned with the markets it serves. The Naval & Power segment, as described in investor materials, provides coolant pumps, power-dense compact motors, generators, secondary propulsion systems, pumps, pump seals, valves, control rod drive mechanisms and fastening systems. These offerings support naval defense programs and power-related applications, including commercial nuclear power and other process and industrial uses.
The Aerospace & Industrial segment focuses on products and services for aerospace and selected industrial markets. Company disclosures reference industrial vehicle components, control systems, sensors, actuation equipment and surface treatment services, as well as support for commercial aerospace platforms and general industrial customers.
The Defense Electronics segment provides electronic systems and subsystems for defense and aerospace applications. Public announcements describe offerings such as embedded computing equipment, flight test instrumentation, and flight recorder technology, including combined cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder solutions that can incorporate encryption and operate over digital backbones in modern military aircraft.
End-Market Exposure
Curtiss-Wright’s end markets span both Aerospace & Defense (A&D) and Commercial sectors. In A&D, the company reports activity in naval defense, ground defense and aerospace defense, including support for submarine programs, ground combat vehicles and military aircraft. In commercial markets, company communications highlight participation in commercial aerospace, commercial nuclear power and broader process and industrial markets.
Within naval defense, Curtiss-Wright has discussed supplying technologies such as coolant pumps, valves, control rod drive mechanisms and embedded computing equipment for submarine programs, as well as aircraft handling systems equipment. In ground defense, it has noted electromechanical actuation equipment, sensors products, surface treatment services and turret drive stabilization systems for combat vehicles. In aerospace defense and commercial aerospace, Curtiss-Wright has referenced actuation equipment, sensors, surface treatment services, embedded computing, flight test instrumentation and flight data recorder technology.
Representative Technologies and Solutions
Across its segments, Curtiss-Wright emphasizes highly engineered and often safety- or mission-focused technologies. Public descriptions and news releases reference:
- Industrial vehicle components and control systems.
- Pumps, pump seals and valves for naval and power applications.
- Coolant pumps, compact motors, generators and secondary propulsion systems.
- Control rod drive mechanisms and fastening systems for nuclear and related power markets.
- Sensors products, electromechanical actuation equipment and surface treatment services for aerospace and defense platforms.
- Embedded computing equipment and flight test instrumentation for defense and aerospace customers.
- Flight recorder technology, including combined cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder units with encryption capabilities.
- Turret drive stabilization systems that provide stabilized turret control for combat vehicles.
In the commercial nuclear and power & process markets, the company has described providing commercial nuclear solutions that support both next-generation advanced reactors and the maintenance of existing operating reactors. It has also referenced contributions from acquisitions focused on instrumentation and control solutions for energy applications.
Geographic and Exchange Profile
Curtiss-Wright’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CW. Based on segment and market disclosures, the company generates key revenue from the United States, with additional contributions from the United Kingdom and other countries. Its technologies are used on domestic and international programs in both defense and commercial markets.
Operational and Financial Reporting Structure
The company reports its performance by segment—Aerospace & Industrial, Defense Electronics, and Naval & Power—and by market groupings such as total A&D markets and total Commercial markets. In its public financial communications, Curtiss-Wright discusses metrics such as sales, operating income, operating margin, new orders, backlog and free cash flow, and provides both reported and adjusted (non-GAAP) views. It also describes the impact of factors such as product mix, overhead absorption on higher revenues, restructuring initiatives and operational excellence programs.
Curtiss-Wright has highlighted a capital allocation approach that includes share repurchase programs and dividends, as well as interest in strategic acquisitions and operational investments. The company has disclosed multiple share repurchase authorizations and the use of Rule 10b5-1 trading plans to execute repurchases over specified periods.
Heritage and Corporate Identity
In its public "About" statements, Curtiss-Wright emphasizes that it builds on the legacy of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, connecting its current engineering and manufacturing activities to early aviation history. The company positions itself as a provider of engineered products, solutions and services to customers in aerospace, defense, commercial nuclear power, process and industrial markets, with a focus on demanding applications and long-term customer relationships.
FAQs about Curtiss-Wright (CW)
- What does Curtiss-Wright Corporation do?
Curtiss-Wright Corporation provides highly engineered products, solutions and services mainly to aerospace and defense markets, and offers critical technologies in commercial nuclear power, process and industrial markets. Its portfolio includes mechanical and electronic systems such as pumps, valves, actuation equipment, embedded computing and flight recorder technology. - How is Curtiss-Wright’s business organized?
The company reports three primary segments: Aerospace & Industrial, Defense Electronics, and Naval & Power. Each segment focuses on specific markets and technologies, ranging from industrial vehicle components and aerospace equipment to naval systems and power-related solutions. - What products and technologies are included in the Naval & Power segment?
According to company descriptions, the Naval & Power segment provides coolant pumps, power-dense compact motors, generators, secondary propulsion systems, pumps, pump seals, valves, control rod drive mechanisms and fastening systems, as well as commercial nuclear solutions and related power & process technologies. - Which markets does the Aerospace & Industrial segment serve?
The Aerospace & Industrial segment serves aerospace and general industrial markets. Disclosures reference industrial vehicle components, control systems, sensors products, electromechanical actuation equipment and surface treatment services, along with support for commercial aerospace platforms and general industrial customers. - What does the Defense Electronics segment provide?
The Defense Electronics segment provides electronic systems and subsystems for defense and aerospace applications. Public information highlights embedded computing equipment, flight test instrumentation, flight data recorders and combined cockpit voice recorder/flight data recorder units, including encrypted variants for modern military aircraft. - In which industries does Curtiss-Wright operate?
Curtiss-Wright operates mainly in aerospace and defense, commercial nuclear power, and process and industrial markets. It supplies technologies for naval defense, ground defense, aerospace defense, commercial aerospace and power & process applications. - Where does Curtiss-Wright generate its revenue geographically?
Company descriptions indicate that Curtiss-Wright generates key revenue from the United States, followed by the United Kingdom and other countries, reflecting its participation in both domestic and international programs. - How does Curtiss-Wright describe its capital allocation approach?
In SEC filings and press releases, Curtiss-Wright describes using share repurchase programs, dividends, strategic acquisitions and operational investments as elements of its capital allocation. It has adopted Rule 10b5-1 trading plans to execute authorized share repurchases over defined periods. - What role does Curtiss-Wright play in commercial nuclear power markets?
The company states that it provides critical technologies in commercial nuclear power markets, including commercial nuclear solutions that support next-generation advanced reactors and the maintenance of existing operating reactors, as well as products such as control rod drive mechanisms and related power & process equipment. - Is Curtiss-Wright focused only on defense applications?
No. While aerospace and defense markets are a major focus, Curtiss-Wright also serves commercial markets, including commercial aerospace, commercial nuclear power and broader process and industrial sectors, through its various segments and product lines.