PitchBook reported that there were 112 private equity deals in the aerospace and defense sector globally in Q2’26, up from 53 deals over the same period last year. Despite the increase in volume, total deal value declined by nearly 58%, from $15.3 billion in Q2’25 to $6.5 billion in Q2’26. Notably, the defense segment accounted for 44 of those deals in Q2’26, up from just nine deals during the same quarter a year earlier.