STOCKTON, Calif. — A merger of two aerospace heavyweights combines more than a century’s worth of critical engineering and manufacturing expertise.

Now known as Applied Aerospace & Defense, the merger of Applied Aerospace and PCX Aerosystems will bring a unified and transformational supplier of precision hardware and systems for aircraft, rotorcraft, satellites, launch vehicles and missile defense, the company announced today.

According to a news release, the merger leverages the capabilities of two industry leaders, with more than 120 years of proven heritage, delivering highly engineered solutions for military, commercial, and scientific applications.

“The new Applied Aerospace & Defense is forged in heritage, trusted in action, driven by mission, and engineered for agility,” said newly appointed CEO Trip Ferguson. “Our blue-chip customers and partners can expect the same experienced team, commitment to quality, and precision hardware, structures, and complex assemblies that they have come to trust.”

The combined workforce includes more than 1,300 dedicated team members along with 1.3 million square feet of state-of-the-art production and integration facilities across nine locations in five states. Applied Aerospace has major operations in Huntsville.

Operations include complementary capabilities in metal, composite, and polymer manufacturing for systems that must perform under the extremes of aviation, spaceflight, and maritime environments. The U.S.-owned company represents one of the largest providers of its kind in the defense industrial base, the release said.

Founded in 1954, Applied Aerospace has been routinely recognized for supplier excellence by long-standing customers including Northrop Grumman, RTX (Raytheon), Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems (Ball Aerospace).

The company is also a two-time awardee of the Robert J. Collier award for achievement in astronautics for its participation in NASA deep space exploration programs.