The United States Special Operations Command has taken an important step in the development of autonomous aircraft by completing the Preliminary Design Review of a system that could transform the C-130J Super Hercules into a platform capable of operating with a high level of automation.
The work is being carried out by the company Merlin Labs, which is developing an autonomous flight system for the traditional military transport aircraft.
The project includes the integration of software called Merlin Pilot, capable of managing the entire flight of the aircraft, from takeoff to landing. The technology was designed specifically for autonomous operations and not simply adapted from traditional autopilot systems, allowing greater automated control of operations.
According to the company, the completion of the technical review phase confirms that the design meets the safety and engineering requirements demanded by U.S. military programs. With this, the project advances to the critical design stage, which precedes the full integration of the system into the aircraft, followed by ground tests and flight demonstrations.
If the program moves forward successfully, the technology could allow military transport aircraft to carry out certain missions with fewer crew members or operate in environments considered dangerous for pilots. In addition, the system’s architecture could be adapted for other types of military or civilian aircraft in the future.
Source: Defence Blog | Photo: X @usairforce | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
