United Aero Group Achieves CMMC Level 2 Certification with Guardian and Vigilance 

Learn how United Aero Group (UAG) achieved CMMC L2 Certification with Summit 7.

Aerospace

About United Aero Group 

Industry: Aviation, Defense 

Services: United Aero Group’s mission is to deliver the helicopter industry’s highest safety, reliability, and efficiency through innovative and comprehensive support services. They strive to exceed their customers’ expectations by consistently delivering exceptional service and value. 

Problem:  As a growing organization providing essential support to U.S. military, commercial, and government clients at all levels, United Aero Group is trusted with Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in the form of critical technical information. Businesses in a position like theirs are likely to be targeted by bad actors with the intention to use that information against the United States, which is where Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) comes into play.  

Learn how United Aero Group (UAG) achieved: 

  • CMMC Level 2 Compliance within an enclave 
  • An expanded pool of federal contract opportunities 
  • Government Community Cloud (GCC) High migration Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP)-compliant cloud solutions 
  • Consolidated fractured environments from acquisitions. 

They offer a uniquely extensive selection of services which include blade repair, spare parts support, component repair, and even full aircraft rebuilds in support of both commercial and military customers; and municipal, state, and federal government customers. As a full-support provider, they support clients who depend on them to make quality repairs and keep their CUI safe.  

“If the technical manuals we have fell into the wrong hands, they could be reverse-engineered and used by adversarial organizations.”  
Tim McGrew, Business Development Leader United Aero Group 

Knowing that CMMC is a complicated process with many moving parts in both implementation and maintenance, UAG decided to team up with Summit 7.  

The Challenge  

As United Aero Group expanded through acquisitions, the company inherited multiple Microsoft 365 tenants, separate Active Directory domains, disparate infrastructure, and geographically distributed operations, including international offices in Canada and Australia. 

At the same time, the rollout of CMMC Level 2 requirements across the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) created new pressure to modernize, secure, and standardize the organization’s handling of CUI and Federal Contract Information (FCI). 

UAG partnered with Summit 7 to: 

  • Build an enclave to run parallel to corporate environment, supporting CUI and FCI data and workflows 
  • Build a secure enclave capable of supporting both domestic and international operations  
  • Map infrastructure, systems, policies, and procedures back to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-171 and CMMC controls  
  • Maintain ongoing operations while transforming the environment  
  • Ensure continued eligibility for defense contracts and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partnerships  

Essentially, UAG’s challenge was to align multiple business units, acquired systems, and security practices under a single compliance framework, all while achieving CMMC certification compliance.  

“If the technical manuals we have fell into the wrong hands, they could “With security operations, in one day you’re handling an incident or responding to malicious activity, having budget conversations, and trying to get aircraft out the door. That’s where having an experienced partner like Summit 7 for achieving and maintaining compliance provides relief. Working toward and gaining compliance is one thing, but maintaining it is equally difficult.” be reverse-engineered and used by adversarial organizations.”  
Ken Jenkins, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) United Aero Group 

The Solution  

UAG leaned on several Summit 7 services to make compliance as smooth as possible. Summit 7 acted as UAG’s managed service provider (MSP), managed security service provider (MSSP), and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) advisory.  

By combining all three, UAG got Summit 7 support on all 320 CMMC assessment objectives.  

Guardian (MSP): 

  • Supports day-to-day IT operations  
  • Manages and stabilize the evolving environment  
  • Assists with infrastructure administration  
  • Supports GCC High operational needs  
  • Maintains continuity during migrations and integration work  
  • Provides responsive help desk and ticket support  

Vigilance (MSSP): 

  • Monitors security events and threats  
  • Supports ongoing cybersecurity operations  
  • Provides deep GCC High security expertise  
  • Assists with security control implementation  
  • Strengthens operational security maturity  
  • Supports continuous compliance readiness  

Additional projects: 

  • Designed an enclave strategy  
  • Guided GCC High migration 
  • Built a System Security Plan (SSP) 
  • Developed internal policies and procedures  
  • Helped integrate acquired organizations into a compliant architecture 
“Very rarely can a company answer almost every question, but the technicians and security engineers at Summit 7 didn’t blink an eye. They have deep expertise in this.” 
Ken Jenkins, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) United Aero Group 

The Results  

United Aero Group’s investment in CMMC has already grown into a strategic advantage, opening new doors in the federal contracting space.  

CMMC Level 2 Certified  

  • UAG became one of the first companies in its industry to earn CMMC Level 2 certification, positioning them as a leader in defense-compliant helicopter repair and maintenance.  

Expanded Contract Opportunities  

  • According to Jamie Gelder, Founder & Chief Revenue Officer of UAG, when you achieve CMMC, “you start to play at a different level.” Since becoming CMMC certified, United Aero Group has begun bidding on requests for quotations with OEMs that they would not have been invited to bid on before. 

Elevated Security Posture  

  • With support from Summit 7 and the Guardian and Vigilance, UAG has improved its overall information security and earned the certification to prove it.  

Unified Internal Systems 

  • UAG successfully consolidated systems from its recent acquisitions, allowing for cleaner workflows.  

  

About United Aero Group 

United Aero Group (UAG) was founded to create an unsurpassed framework for providing parts and services for helicopter support. For over 10 years, UAG has become known for its responsiveness, the depth of its relationships within the industry, and management expertise. 

UAG is a General Electric (GE) repair and services provider for the GE T700, a stocking distributor of parts for Sikorsky Aircraft, and a stocking integrator for Bendix King/Honeywell. They distribute parts, manage repairs, components, support services, and end-to-end solutions for global militaries and commercial aviation operators. 

About Summit 7  

Summit 7 is the leading cybersecurity, compliance, and cloud engineering partner for the Aerospace and Defense industry. Specializing in CMMC, NIST 800-171, DFARS, and Microsoft GCC High solutions, Summit 7 helps organizations secure Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), prepare for audits, and compete confidently in the federal marketplace.  

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