As part of the new Boeing and Shift5 agreement, the C-17 will be the initial platform for use case exploration. (© Boeing)

Article originally published in Boeing News Now.

Boeing signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Shift5, a cybersecurity and predictive maintenance company that transforms untapped operational technology into actionable insights.

• Shift5's onboard hardware captures data with capabilities to feed Boeing's predictive maintenance analytics and Shift5’s cybersecurity threat detection solutions. Combining Boeing's deep aircraft expertise with Shift5's capabilities, the two anticipate monitoring fleet health and security simultaneously.

The goal: Move maintenance from reactive to predictive and introduce cyber-awareness so faults and intrusions are found at mission speed.

Why it matters: Near-real-time data capture enables faster fault detection and intrusion monitoring across platforms like C-17 and KC-46.

Tech in action: The collaboration enables an integrated capability where Boeing’s airframe-specific predictive maintenance data and Shift5’s cybersecurity solution collaborate with Shift5’s hardware for mission-speed analysis.

• Cyber and health monitoring operate side-by-side on the same data stream, so threat cyber detection and maintenance decisions happen at operational tempo — not hours or days later.

Expected customer outcomes:

Increased aircraft availability by:

• Reduced maintenance downtime
• Early detection of mechanical faults and cyber intrusions

What’s next: With the MOU signed, Boeing and Shift5 are collaborating on technical integration and tests, initially focused on aircraft like KC-46 and C-17.

Bottom line:

• “When data moves faster than threats and insights outpace failures, our aircrews get their best chance to succeed. This partnership marries Boeing’s deep aircraft intuition with Shift5’s edge-speed cyber defense — that’s force protection and fleet performance in one,” says Travis Williams, Vice President of United States Air Force Mobility & Training Services, Boeing.
• Ronak Shah, Chief Technology Officer, Shift5, added, “Boeing knows these aircraft better than anyone - they built them, they maintain them, and they understand what keeps fleets mission-ready. Shift5 brings the hardware and cybersecurity layer that these platforms need. When you combine our real-time threat detection capabilities with Boeing's predictive maintenance expertise, you get a force multiplier: aircraft that are both more secure and available.“