OXNARD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 18, 2026--
Swarm Aero (Swarm), a developer of large uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms, today announced the opening of its Advanced Manufacturing Center from a ribbon cutting event at the new 80,000 square foot facility in Fayetteville, Arkansas at Drake Field. Swarm, headquartered in Oxnard, California, will use this facility to accelerate the development and deployment of the company’s large UAV. Its Arkansas operations will have the ability to produce 1,000s of UAVs and will create hundreds of high-skill aerospace jobs over the next decade.
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“We looked at over 20 states before deciding to put down manufacturing roots in Fayetteville, Arkansas. We chose Northwest Arkansas because of the exceptional talent and partners, and we’re thrilled to continue our growth here,” said Danny Goodman, CEO and Co-Founder, Swarm Aero. “Large UAVs are the future of armed conflict. When paired with our swarm command and control software, they can achieve major combat objectives by cooperating with superhuman dexterity while being several times cheaper than traditional aircraft. This is one of the most consequential developments in modern conflict and we have built an exceptionally talented engineering team to bring this vision to life.”
Swarm’s mission is to renew American air power by making large uncrewed aircraft that allow the U.S. to defend itself and its allies without putting pilots in harm’s way. Its Advanced Manufacturing Center is where this ambition becomes reality. Swarm’s pioneering approach to producing composite airframes allows manufacturing at volumes not seen since World War II.
“Swarm's decision to open their manufacturing facility in Northwest Arkansas reinforces what we know to be true: our region is a destination for advanced manufacturing and next-generation aerospace innovation,” said Nelson Peacock, President and CEO, the Northwest Arkansas Council. “Swarm’s presence here will create meaningful, high-quality jobs while opening new pathways for collaboration with our universities, technical schools, and workforce programs. Just as importantly, Swarm’s mission strengthens the role our region can play in supporting technologies that are critical to America’s national security and industrial resilience. We are proud to welcome Swarm to Northwest Arkansas and look forward to supporting their growth as part of our community.”
Swarm intends to double its aircraft team in 2026 and is actively hiring across the organization. To learn more and apply to open roles, please visit: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/swarmaero
About Swarm
Swarm Aero was founded in 2022 and is headquartered in Oxnard, CA with locations in Spokane, WA, Fayetteville, AR, and Washington D.C.. The team has extraordinary experience working with the Department of War to fulfill critical needs and requirements as well as decades of aerospace accomplishments across Scaled Composites, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Airbus, Archer, and others. The team has previously completed billions of dollars in contracts involving DOW, has built software platforms supporting millions of users, and employed cutting-edge AI in critical applications. Swarm is backed by leading VC firms including Two Sigma Ventures, Silent Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Construct Capital, Coatue, Founders Fund, MaC Venture Capital, and a16z. To learn more please visit: https://www.swarm.aero/
Swarm Aero, a developer of large uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms, today announced the opening of its Advanced Manufacturing Center from a ribbon cutting event at the new 80,000 square foot facility in Fayetteville, Arkansas at Drake Field alongside Congressman Steve Womack.
TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Eight backcountry skiers have been found dead and 1 remains missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California, officials said, making it the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. in more than four decades.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon announced the deaths at a news conference Wednesday.
Search and rescue crews were dispatched to the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada after a 911 call Tuesday afternoon reporting an avalanche had buried 15 skiers. Six of them have been found alive.
It is the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier, Washington.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
Crews faced treacherous conditions Wednesday in their search for nine backcountry skiers still missing a day after an avalanche in the mountains near Lake Tahoe. Six others were found alive and rescued.
The group was on a three-day trek in Northern California's Sierra Nevada on Tuesday morning when the avalanche occurred as a monster winter storm pummeled the West Coast.
Two of those rescued after several hours of searching were taken to a hospital for treatment, said Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff's Office. Heavy snow and the threat of additional avalanches slowed the rescue effort in the mountains near Castle Peak, northwest of Lake Tahoe.
The area near Donner Summit is one of the snowiest places in the Western Hemisphere and until just a few years ago was closed to the public. It sees an average of nearly 35 feet (10 meters) of snow a year, according to the Truckee Donner Land Trust, which owns a cluster of huts where the group was staying near Frog Lake.
The Sierra Avalanche Center warned Wednesday that the risk of avalanche remains high and advised against travel in the area. Multiple feet of snowfall and gale force winds in recent days left the snowpack unstable and unpredictable, and more snow was predicted to fall, the center said.
Nevada County Sheriff Capt. Russell Greene said authorities were notified about the avalanche by Blackbird Mountain Guides, which was leading the expedition, and the skiers' emergency beacons. The sheriff’s office said Tuesday night that 15 backcountry skiers had been on the trip, not 16 as initially believed.
The skiers were on the last day of a backcountry skiing trip and had spent two nights in the huts, said Steve Reynaud, an avalanche forecaster with the Sierra Avalanche Center. He said the area requires navigating rugged mountainous terrain. All food and supplies need to be carried to the huts.
Reaching the huts in winter takes several hours and requires backcountry skills, avalanche training and safety equipment, the land trust says on its website.
Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement said the group, including four guides, was returning to the trailhead when the avalanche occurred.
“Our thoughts are with the missing individuals, their families, and first responders in the field,” Blackbird said in a statement Wednesday. The company said it is helping authorities in the search.
Several Tahoe ski resorts had been fully or partially closed due to the weather. Resorts, which use controlled explosions and barriers to manage avalanche threats, were not expected to be at as high of a risk as the backcountry, the center said.
The area near Donner Summit was closed for nearly a century before the land trust and its partners in 2020 acquired Frog Lake, which is framed by 1,000-foot-high (300-meter-high) cliffs. Donner Summit is named for the infamous Donner Party, a group of pioneers who resorted to cannibalism after getting trapped there in the winter of 1846-1847.
In January, an avalanche in the region buried a snowmobiler and killed him, authorities said. Each winter, 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the U.S., according to the National Avalanche Center.
Watson reported from San Diego and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu and Olga Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed.
Snow covers a street sign on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
This image provided by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office shows members of a rescue team in Soda Springs, California on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Nevada County Sheriff's Office via AP)
Cars are covered in snow during a snow storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Trucks are lined up along Interstate 80 during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
A vehicle is buried in snow during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
A road is plowed during a snow storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
This image provided by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office shows members of a rescue team in Soda Springs, California on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Nevada County Sheriff's Office via AP)
