Global Avionics Round-Up from Aircraft Value News (AVN)

The Importance of Cybersecurity in Avionics

As avionics systems become increasingly digital and interconnected, they also become more vulnerable to cyber threats. Cybersecurity in avionics is no longer optional; it is a fundamental necessity to safeguard the integrity of the global aviation ecosystem.

One of the primary reasons cybersecurity in avionics is vital is the potential catastrophic consequences of a successful cyberattack. Threats such as malware infiltration, data breaches, or the manipulation of aircraft systems could compromise passenger safety, disrupt flight operations, and erode public trust in air travel. Unauthorized access to navigation systems could lead to mid-air collisions or misdirected flights.

Moreover, with the rise of connected aviation systems—such as real-time data sharing among aircraft, air traffic control, and maintenance systems—the attack surface for cybercriminals has expanded. This interconnectedness amplifies the need for robust cybersecurity measures to ensure that vulnerabilities in one system do not compromise the entire aviation network.

Regulatory bodies including the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have recognized these risks and are implementing stringent cybersecurity standards. Adhering to these regulations not only protects passengers and crew but also shields airlines and manufacturers from financial and reputational damage.

The integration of advanced technologies, including AI and machine learning, offers an opportunity to enhance cybersecurity defenses. Predictive algorithms can identify potential threats before they manifest, ensuring a proactive approach to risk management.

In a sector where safety is paramount, robust cybersecurity measures in avionics are not merely about compliance—they are about protecting lives, preserving trust, and enabling the continued evolution of global aviation.

Cyber Cops on the Avionics Beat

Key companies involved in avionics cybersecurity include:

BAE Systems

• Specializes in cybersecurity for military and commercial avionics, offering solutions to protect mission-critical systems.
• Known for secure data links and electronic defense systems.

Honeywell Aerospace

• Develops secure avionics hardware and software.
• Provides services to protect navigation systems, aircraft communication, and flight management.

Raytheon Technologies (including Collins Aerospace)

• Offers robust cybersecurity solutions for both military and commercial aircraft.
• Collins Aerospace focuses on secure communication systems and flight-critical avionics.

Thales Group

• Focused on cybersecurity solutions for avionics and air traffic management systems.
• Develops secure communication systems, data encryption, and intrusion detection tools.

Northrop Grumman

• Provides advanced cybersecurity solutions for military and defense aviation.
• Focuses on protecting command-and-control systems and data networks.

General Dynamics Mission Systems

• Offers cybersecurity services for avionics, focusing on military-grade secure communication systems.
• Works on advanced encryption and intrusion prevention technologies.

Airbus CyberSecurity

• A subsidiary of Airbus specializing in aviation and critical infrastructure cybersecurity.
• Protects avionics systems and develops tools to prevent and detect cyber threats.

Boeing Defense, Space & Security

• Includes cybersecurity measures within its avionics systems for defense and commercial aircraft.
• Focuses on end-to-end secure communications and system protection.

Check Point Software Technologies

• Partners with aerospace companies to provide cybersecurity solutions for embedded avionics systems.
• Specializes in endpoint security and intrusion prevention.

Palo Alto Networks

• Works with aviation firms to secure cloud-based systems and communications infrastructure.
• Focuses on threat detection and automated security protocols.

L3Harris Technologies

• Develops secure avionics and communication solutions.
• Focuses on encrypting data links and securing flight-critical systems.

Rohde & Schwarz

• Provides secure communication solutions for aviation, including radio communications and data encryption.

IBM Security

• Collaborates with aviation firms to develop integrated cybersecurity frameworks for aircraft and airport systems.
• Leverages AI and machine learning for threat detection.

Cisco Systems

• Focuses on securing avionics networks and communication infrastructure.
• Provides hardware and software solutions for network segmentation and intrusion prevention.

BlackBerry (Cylance)

• Specializes in endpoint security for connected avionics systems.
• Leverages AI-driven threat detection.

Tenable

• Offers vulnerability management solutions for avionics systems and communication protocols.

These companies work with aircraft manufacturers, airlines, and defense contractors to ensure the security of increasingly interconnected avionics systems.

This article also appears in our partner publication Aircraft Value News.

John Persinos is the editor-in-chief of Aircraft Value News. You can reach John at: jpersinos@accessintel.com

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Global Avionics Round-Up from Aircraft Value News (AVN)

Honeywell Aerospace’s Anthem avionics system is redefining the boundaries of cockpit technology. Launched in 2024, Anthem is the first cloud-connected avionics platform designed to integrate seamlessly with both current and future aviation ecosystems.

This groundbreaking system combines advanced AI with connectivity, offering pilots a tailored, intuitive interface that reduces workload and increases situational awareness.

Anthem’s predictive maintenance tools, powered by AI, allow operators to preemptively address potential mechanical issues, saving both time and money. Anthem’s real-time weather updates and automated flight optimization features contribute to significant fuel savings, a critical factor as the industry moves toward greener operations.

Impact on Base Values and Lease Rates

The Anthem system has already begun to influence aircraft values. Aircraft equipped with Anthem are seen as more desirable by lessors and operators due to its fuel-saving capabilities and reduced maintenance costs.

Analysts predict that aircraft with the Anthem system could command a 5% to 10% premium in base values over their competitors. Lease rates for these aircraft have similarly seen an uptick, with many operators willing to pay higher rates for the operational savings Anthem delivers.

The AI Revolution in the Cockpit

AI is revolutionizing the aviation industry by transforming the cockpit in several groundbreaking ways, enhancing safety, efficiency, and functionality for pilots and airlines alike. Here are the key areas where AI is making an impact.

AI systems process vast amounts of real-time flight data to assist pilots in making better decisions. AI predicts potential issues like weather disturbances, mechanical failures, or air traffic congestion. AI also analyzes routes for fuel efficiency and reduced travel time, minimizing operational costs.

While fully autonomous flights are still in the testing phase, AI-powered systems already handle aspects of automation in the cockpit.

AI enables more precise control and adapts to complex scenarios, such as dynamic weather changes. AI is paving the way for Single Pilot Operations (SPO), where a single pilot is supported by advanced AI co-pilot systems that perform tasks traditionally managed by a second human pilot.

Moreover, AI enhances cockpit displays and controls, making them more intuitive and less cluttered. Pilots can interact with AI systems using voice commands, reducing the workload during critical operations. AI-powered augmented reality (AR) overlays critical flight data on cockpit displays or pilot visors, improving situational awareness.

This article also appears in our partner publication Aircraft Value News.

John Persinos is the editor-in-chief of Aircraft Value News. You can reach John at: jpersinos@accessintel.com

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Global Avionics Round-Up from Aircraft Value News (AVN)

The Airbus A350-1000 is spearheading the next frontier in avionics: autonomous flight capabilities. The aircraft’s cockpit is equipped with sophisticated systems that blend sensor fusion, real-time data analytics, and AI-driven decision-making, enabling significant automation in navigation, takeoff, and landing.

While full autonomy remains a long-term goal, the intermediate steps taken by Airbus are already influencing market dynamics. These advanced avionics systems reduce pilot workload, improve safety metrics, and optimize flight efficiency. The financial implications are profound.

Airlines using the A350-1000 report lower training costs for pilots and improved on-time performance, both of which positively impact operating margins.

For lessors, the A350-1000’s avionics are a selling point. With the global push for reduced carbon emissions, the A350-1000’s ability to execute highly efficient, AI-optimized flight paths is particularly appealing to airlines under pressure to meet sustainability targets. This has driven up the model’s base value by approximately 8% over the last two years and allowed lessors to secure favorable lease terms even in a competitive market.

However, these advancements also carry risks. The costs of maintaining such sophisticated avionics systems are higher, and technical failures could result in substantial operational disruptions. Despite this, demand for the A350-1000 remains robust, underscoring the industry’s confidence in the long-term viability of autonomous avionics.

The Airbus A350-1000 is a long-range, widebody aircraft that represents the pinnacle of modern aerospace engineering. It is the largest variant in the A350 family, offering a passenger capacity of up to 410 in a typical two-class configuration and a range of approximately 8,700 nautical miles. Its design, technology, and performance make it a game-changer for the aviation industry.

Key Features of the A350-1000

• Advanced Materials

The A350-1000 is constructed using 53% composite materials, which reduce weight and enhance durability. These materials, combined with titanium and advanced aluminum alloys, improve fuel efficiency and corrosion resistance.

• Efficient Engines

Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the A350-1000 delivers 25% lower fuel burn and CO₂ emissions per seat compared to previous-generation aircraft.

• Aerodynamic Innovations

The aircraft features a state-of-the-art wing design with a high aspect ratio and adaptive winglets. These optimize lift-to-drag ratio and improve fuel efficiency, especially on ultra-long-haul routes.

• Cutting-Edge Avionics

The A350-1000 boasts a sophisticated cockpit suite with intuitive controls, integrated systems, and a head-up display (HUD) to enhance pilot situational awareness.

• Autonomy and Digital Connectivity

The A350-1000 is equipped with the Airbus Flight Operational Real-time Analysis (FORCE) system, enabling predictive maintenance and real-time performance monitoring. Its avionics also support research into autonomous flight technologies, positioning the aircraft as a testing platform for the future of aviation.

This article also appears in our partner publication Aircraft Value News.

John Persinos is the editor-in-chief of Aircraft Value News. You can reach John at: jpersinos@accessintel.com

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The Sierra Nevada Corp.’s unmanned Voly Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft. (Image: Sierra Nevada Corp.)

Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) on Dec. 5 said the Navy awarded it a prototype other transaction (OT) agreement to develop the technology to support autonomous unmanned air transport capability for naval logistics purposes.

Under this award, SNC will use its artificial intelligence systems with its Voly vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) Unnamed Aerial System (UAS) to help the Navy with its project to improve light cargo resupply capabilities via unmanned systems, the Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS program.

The program specifically looks to solve a Navy challenge in being able to deliver light cargo over long ocean distances to reduce the burden on manned aircraft.

SNC said it will help develop the technology to help support the Navy with an on-demand, autonomous, unmanned air transport delivery capability needed for the U.S. Navy’s fleet and Military Sealift Command (MSC).

“The autonomous movement of critical parts and supplies in distributed maritime operations increases operational readiness and warfighting capability of embarked ships or aircraft,” the company said.

The company boasted its Voly UAS is a hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft with payload, range and endurance capabilities needed for multi-role operations. SNC underscored the aircraft can simultaneously carry cargo, additional fuel and sensors.

“SNC is proud to partner with the Navy to develop this critical game-changing technology. Our Voly solution with its long-haul capability, provides the technological advancements needed for safe and reliable resupply to geographically dispersed maritime environments,” Josh Walsh, SNC vice president of programs, said in a statement.

In 2020 the Navy said historic data showed warships often moved into partially or non-mission capable status due to logistics issues like electronics parts or assemblies that usually weigh under 50 pounds. Missions to deliver these kinds of parts are currently performed by H-60 helicopters or V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, but this review  spurred the service to look into using Group-3 size UAS.

At the time, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) had already acquired a Skyways Air Transportation Inc. drone for this Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS experimental cargo transport.

SNC argued its unmanned VTOL aircraft has significant advantages over other UAVs or conventional fixed-wing aircraft for this kind of mission: they can perform point takeoff and landing with minimal space requirements, feature redundant lift motors and avionics, increased maneuverability, and the ability to land after engine or other catastrophic failures.

The company said its part in the Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS program envisions Navy assets bringing large amounts of supplies to forward operating bases where fleets of unmanned aircraft can deliver needed parts to vessels in complicated maritime environments. This could help deliver the cargo to more widespread destinations.

“An unmanned resupply capability allows users to overcome the contested logistics challenges of the future and ensures forward-deployed units are stocked with parts and supplies needed for operations,” said Tim Harper, SNC vice president of business development. 

“The Voly hybrid UAS represents a new opportunity to completely disrupt how critical assets are delivered, by minimizing personnel and filling the gap where traditional delivery methods are unable to achieve the mission,” he continued.

Previously, in 2021 NAWCAD awarded PteroDynamics a contract to supply three of its VTOL drones for the Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS program.

The Voly originated as a drone made by the former company Volansi, which SNC acquired in 2022.

A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.

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Global Avionics Round-Up from Aircraft Value News (AVN)

In recent years, cockpit automation has transformed aviation, enhancing safety and efficiency. While reducing pilot workload and minimizing human error, automation has also introduced concerns regarding dependency and situational awareness.

As the aviation industry pushes toward increasingly autonomous cockpits, weighing the advantages and drawbacks of automation is essential. Are we entering a risky era of “robo-pilots”? Let’s take a closer look at the paradox of cockpit automation.

Pros of Cockpit Automation

Enhanced Safety: Automation enables precision in tasks like navigation, monitoring, and weather adjustments, reducing the likelihood of human error. For example, systems like Airbus’s A350 Autoland allow pilots to make precision landings in low visibility, essential in busy or adverse-weather airports.

Reduced Pilot Workload: Automated systems such as autopilot and auto-throttle on aircraft like the Boeing 787 relieve pilots during long-haul flights, allowing them to focus on higher-level decision-making. This shift supports fatigue management, a critical factor for long flights.

Improved Fuel Efficiency: Automation optimizes routes, altitude, and speed to minimize fuel consumption. Systems like Honeywell’s Flight Management System (FMS), used in the B777 and A320neo, analyze multiple data points to select fuel-efficient paths, which can result in significant cost savings.

Cons of Cockpit Automation

Loss of Manual Skills: With automation handling most in-flight tasks, some pilots may find themselves with fewer opportunities to practice hands-on skills, which could be crucial in emergency scenarios. Pilots accustomed to high levels of automation on A380s, for example, may lack the same level of manual skill as those flying older, less automated aircraft.

Reduced Situational Awareness: While automation handles routine tasks, it sometimes distances pilots from real-time decision-making, impacting situational awareness. This concern was highlighted by incidents involving the B737 MAX, where pilots struggled with automated systems they weren’t adequately prepared to override.

Over-Reliance on Technology: Excessive dependency on automation may compromise a crew’s ability to handle unexpected situations. Manufacturers like Airbus are countering this trend by incorporating greater manual intervention options in their latest A350 and A321XLR models, allowing pilots to reassert control when needed.

Future Innovations in Cockpit Automation

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and sensor technology are steering aviation toward more sophisticated automated cockpits. Autonomous takeoffs, landings, and even basic in-flight decision-making are being explored by companies like Boeing and Embraer.

The A350 is leading the charge in autonomous operations, serving as a testbed for innovations in digital flight decks. As these technologies progress, aviation will face a tipping point, challenging the balance between human expertise and machine intelligence.

This article also appears in our partner publication Aircraft Value News.

John Persinos is the editor-in-chief of Aircraft Value News. You can reach John at: jpersinos@accessintel.com

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Pictured is the X-62A Variable Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) flying over Palmdale, Calif. on Aug. 26, 2022 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

The U.S. Air Force’s future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) may need a significant amount of processing power for sensors and mission autonomy, and the service and industry thus face a challenge of ensuring that the drones meet size, weight, and power constraints at an Air Force targeted unit cost of $30 million or less.

“When you start talking about, on the sensor processing side, [the need for] 20 to 25 teraflops, each teraflop is one trillion calculations in a second, ” Mike Shortsleeve, the vice president of strategy and business development at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, said at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies’ inaugural Future of Airpower forum last Wednesday.

“That’s huge–just on the sensor side, dig through the clutter, find out what it [the object] is…a lot of compute processing power,” he said. “Things have gotten better–smaller, cheaper–to be able to do things, but, for us, the big aspect of this is on the sensing side where the bulk of that processing is gonna take place. What we have done, from a surrogate testing perspective, with this is we’ve looked at putting processing on one aircraft, and it feeds the others [aircraft]. We’ve done this in a live, virtual construct as well.”

“We’re trying to figure out different ways to make that happen,” he said of reducing SWaP-C–size, weight, power and cost–for CCA. “Processing, while the outlook is good, is still challenging.”

In April, the Air Force said that it had chosen General Atomics and another privately-held drone maker, Anduril Industries, for the first round of CCA–the so-called Increment 1. General Atomics offered its Gambit design and Anduril its Fury.

The first CCAs are to be air-to-air, but others may be those for intelligence or jamming missions. The Air Force has said that it plans to field 150 CCAs in the next five years to complement F-35s and possibly other manned fighters, including a manned Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft and the F-15EX.

The Air Force is refining its concept for CCA Increment 2 and has announced a buy of more Increment 1 CCAs.

“There is a huge opportunity to talk about data links [for CCA],” Mike Benitez, Shield AI‘s senior director of strategic product development and a former Air Force F-35 pilot, said at the Mitchell forum. “The data is so important. If you can make sense of that on something like a Wedgetail, an F-35, or an F-22, you can push that perception of the environment to the cognition core [on CCA], that is the real power of how you break the cost curve of these [CCA] platforms. Otherwise, you’re just going to have an unmanned F-35.”

Over the last four years, the Lockheed Martin X-62 Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft (VISTA)–an autonomous F-16–flew more than a dozen dog fights in tests with traditional fighters in DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution experiments, and, though the X-62 had no “perception” sensors of its own, it received situational awareness data about where the “bandits” were over a data pod on the X-62’s wing, Benitez said.

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A battle manager sends real-time commands to AI-controlled aircraft during a flight test over Iowa. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Martin this year has been conducting flight-tests of artificial intelligence-controlled aircraft in air-to-air engagements, including a more recent demonstration where a human “battle manager” aboard a fighter jet trainer commanded AI-controlled aircraft using a computer touchscreen.

The testing is being done by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works unit in partnership with the company’s Demonstrations and Prototypes organization, and the University of Iowa’s Operator Performance Laboratory.

In the tests, the battle manager aboard an L-39 Albatros assigned targets to two AI-controlled L-29 Delfin military jet trainers that worked together to defeat two mock enemy jets using simulated weapons. The AI software was developed by Skunk Works.

The AI-controlled aircraft flew with human pilots for safety purposes. The adversarial aircraft were also L-29s.

Earlier flight tests demonstrated AI-controlled air-to-ground jamming and geolocation, Lockheed Martin said on Thursday.

“The work we’re doing with the University of Iowa’s OPL is foundational for the future of air combat, where a family of crewed and uncrewed systems will work together to execute complex missions,” John Clark, vice president and general manager of Skunk Works, said in a statement.

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Gray Eagle 25M. (Photo: GA-ASI)

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) last month completed the final qualification test for its new Heavy Fuel Engine (HFE) 2.0 set to power the upgraded Gray Eagle (GE) 25M drone.

Following the three-week qualification test for the 200-horsepower HFE 2.0 engine, GA-ASI said the next step is the Army certification process to also allow use of the engine on the service’s existing fleet of Gray Eagle Extended Range drones.

“This test is the culmination of the extensive durability and flight test program for the HFE 2.0 engine,” GA-ASI President David Alexander said in a statement. “It’s been great to see the outstanding test results that have validated the design and development of the HFE 2.0 engine we have worked on so passionately for the past seven years and to bring this world-class engine to the Gray Eagle fleet.”

Last month’s culminating qualification test occurred at the GA-ASI’s flight facility in El Mirage, California and was aligned with the Federal Aviation Administration’s endurance test requirements, according to the company.

“Over the last 18 months, HFE 2.0 excelled in strenuous durability testing that included 2,450 full power cycles simulating high stress conditions during three extensive test profiles of 200, 400, and 651 hours,” the company said in a statement. “Additionally, the engine completed 50 hours of flight testing across the flight envelope.”

GA-ASI has described the HFE 2.0 engine for its modernized Gray Eagle fleet as a “highly reliable low-maintenance engine with a 40 percent increase in service life providing longer maintenance-free operational period.”

In January, GA-ASI announced the first flight of its new Gray Eagle 25M UAS, which the company has noted which features the new HFE 2.0 engine and is designed with a Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) approach to allow for rapid integration of new capabilities, advanced datalinks and an upgraded propulsion system.

The first flight test of the Gray Eagle 25M, conducted in early December 2023, focused on testing flight critical operations and assessing the new variant’s HFE 2.0 engine and power generation systems.

GA-ASI has said the Gray Eagle 25M’s power generation system was designed in coordination with the Army’s Project Manager Endurance Uncrewed Aircraft System (PM EUAS), which it added will decrease “major maintenance actions and virtually eliminates the need for overhaul.”

The Army awarded GA-ASI a production contract for Gray Eagle 25M worth up to $389 million in early December 2023 and in late May the Army National Guard placed an order for 12 of the new drones.

GA-ASI last month noted it worked with General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems to design the HFE 2.0’s dual brushless generator, which it said will deliver over 50 percent more electrical power to support new payloads, will “dramatically reduce” field maintenance, and it’s designed as a “drop-in replacement” for the Gray Eagle’s existing generator.

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MQ-25 Air Vehicle Pilots Lt. Matt Pence (forward) and Lt. Steven Wilster conduct a test run to monitor the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System ground control station, located at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., as the system commands the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) MQ-20 Avenger surrogate, located at the company’s test facility in California, in preparation for demonstration event in November 2024. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The Navy tested command and control of an unmanned aircraft using its Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control Station (UMCS) for the first time this week in a demo using the  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) MQ-20 Avenger and Lockheed Martin software.

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said GA-ASI initiated this joint demonstration that on Nov. 5 had the Unmanned Carrier Aviation program office PMA-268 use its UMCS with the MD-5 Ground Control Station (GCS), loaded with the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works MDCX platform, command and control the GA MQ-20 Avenger.

GA said the MQ-20 technology demonstrator acted as a surrogate to demonstrate how the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control Station (UMCS) can command various unmanned aircraft with autonomous maneuvers. The Navy noted this proves the UMCS can command other aircraft beyond the under-development MQ-25 carrier-based unmanned tanker aircraft.

Navy operators used an MD-5 Ground Control Station (GCS) out of the Navy’s Patuxent River, Md., test facility to command and control the MQ-20 flown out of GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon flight operations facility in El Mirage, Calif.

The team was able to operate over this large distance by using an unspecified proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) satellite constellation datalink. 

NAVAIR said it will use the data from this demonstration to refine program requirements and develop more key technologies. The team plans to conduct more digital and live surrogate test flights to demonstrate various aspects of CCAs including autonomy, mission systems, crewed-uncrewed teaming, advanced communications and more command and control development.

Lockheed Martin boasted its Skunk Works MDCX autonomy platform enabled the Navy air vehicle pilots to control the MQ-20 during its California flight.

NAVAIR describes the UMCS as a system-of-systems required for MQ-25 command and control that should apply to other Navy unmanned aircraft control in the future. 

GA underscored this was the first time any General Atomics UAS conducted bi-directional communications using the UMCS operation codes while also performing autonomous behavior, using the pLEO datalink.

“UMCS is laying a foundation that will enable control of all unmanned carrier aircraft, starting with the MQ-25 aircraft. The UMCS opens the door for efficiently introducing future unmanned systems into the complex carrier command and control architecture,” Capt. Daniel Fucito, PMA-268 program manager, said in a statement.

“This was a huge step for unmanned naval aviation. This demo showcased UMCS’s first live control of an unmanned air vehicle, and it was great to be part of history in the making. The team is paving the way for integrating critical unmanned capability across the joint force to combat the high-end threat our warfighters face today and in the future,” Lt. Steven Wilster, MQ-25 AVP, added.

General Atomics characterized this demonstration as part of the overall effort to move technology forward for the future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), for which the Navy and Air Force intend future manned fighters to command several unmanned wingmen to perform missions. 

The Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force are collaborating under a Tri-service Memorandum of Understanding for critical subsystems for CCAs, with the Navy leading development of a common control architecture and GCS, in collaboration with Lockheed Martin.

GA-ASI said the MQ-20 is being used “extensively” as a surrogate CCA testbed for autonomous technology development.

In April, the Air Force downselected to GA and Anduril for CCA testing, with them both set to move forward on detailed designs, manufacture and testing of production-representative test articles for the CCA program.

“This effort was a prime example of industry partners and government agencies working together to perform important new capabilities. The team efficiently and safely demonstrated aircraft flight control from another government agency’s control station. Using GA-ASI’s Tactical Autonomy Core Ecosystem (TacACE) software, the team not only executed airborne commands, but did so in a safe, controlled environment,” GA-ASI president David Alexander, said in a statement.

John Clark, vice president and general manager at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said they are happy to collaborate with the Navy to help move toward its air wing of the future vision.

“The MDCX made it possible to rapidly integrate the MQ-20 ‘autonomy core’ with the UMCS, demonstrating common control capability and third-party platform integration,” Clark said in a statement.

A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.

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The U.S. Air Force and Merlin Labs may begin autonomous KC-135 flight testing next year, the company said (Merlin Photo)

Flight testing of an autonomous KC-135 Stratotanker may begin next year.

Boston’s Merlin Labs, Inc. and the U.S. Air Force’s 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill AFB, Fla., have been testing the Merlin Pilot system to provide autonomy and automation for the KC-135 tanker to reduce aircrew and allow crew members to focus on critical mission tasks.

In February, Merlin said that it had signed a multi-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Air Mobility Command (AMC) and Air Force Materiel Command to develop and integrate the Merlin Pilot on the KC-135 to inform the Next Generation Air Refueling System and “pave the way for autonomous uncrewed operations of the KC-135–an unprecedented new capability for AMC and the USAF.”

Merlin said on Monday that its “airworthiness plan for the Merlin Pilot KC-135 testing has been accepted by the United States Air Force.”

“This joint USAF and Merlin project will evaluate the viability of scaling the Merlin Pilot to large transport aircraft, especially its innovative AI capabilities,” the company said. “Achieving this milestone demonstrates that Merlin’s system engineering processes are consistent with the airworthiness standards set by the USAF, and allows Merlin to progress towards aircraft integration, design completion, and testing operations.”

Air Force acceptance of the Merlin Pilot KC-135 airworthiness plan “is the first major milestone to be executed under this collaboration, and lays the groundwork for the Merlin Pilot’s certification basis and eventual Military Flight Release (MFR),” Merlin said. “Integrating the Merlin Pilot on the KC-135 kickstarts Merlin’s Part 25 airworthiness programs and is material to continued advancements on this class of aircraft. Merlin is targeting the end of 2024 for its design completion, with ground testing, flight testing, and demonstrations to occur in 2025.”

In June, the company said that it had received a $105 million contract from U.S. Special Operations Command to provide advanced automation for the Air Force C-130J airlifter by Lockheed Martin as a step toward such features for other special operations forces (SOF) fixed wing aircraft over the next five years.

Merlin said that it has had a two-year partnership with the Air Force and that this summer’s C-130J contract will provide advanced automation design and integration on the C-130J; ground testing; Test Readiness Review and flight test; full takeoff to landing demonstration; and integration on other SOF aircraft.

A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.

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