Looking at a Chinook helicopter from aerospace stock Boeing (BA) makes it clear that this aircraft could carry quite a bit. The idea that it could also carry a supply of drones that could be launched in swarms, meanwhile, makes a certain sense as well. And that is what Chinooks are set to do down the line, a development that helped Boeing investors push shares up over 2% in Friday’s trading.
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The CH-47 Chinook helicopter is still a very popular model, as evidenced by the orders for them still coming in to this day. But Boeing is not resting on its laurels, and is including “launched effects” as well as a new vertical-lift capability that is unlike anything else in the market. This reportedly has the interest of the United States Army as well as other operations.
“Launched effects” includes drones, among other things, and can be launched from both crewed and uncrewed aircraft alike. These drones can carry out a range of functions, starting with scout functions, and going all the way up to decoys and even suicide drones. Such systems could make the Chinook operate in whole new ways, and keep the Chinook as an attractive prospect.
Micro GEO
While Boeing’s space aspirations have not always gone according to plan, in much the same way that the Minnow was only supposed to be out on a three-hour tour, Boeing is making its way in space with satellites. In fact, Boeing and subsidiary Millennium Space Systems are getting together to produce an impressive new design going after the “micro GEO” market.
The micro GEO, a mid-sized satellite platform, is geared toward communications, and targets both military and consumer customers. It uses Boeing’s payload systems, but Millennium Space’s production model, which is significantly faster. Given the growing amount of small satellites orbiting the planet to provide communications, having a hand in that game could be a winning move for Boeing.
Is Boeing a Good Stock to Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on BA stock based on 14 Buys and one Hold assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 37.37% rally in its share price over the past year, the average BA price target of $274.92 per share implies 21.91% upside potential.
