The United States Special Operations Command took 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 led by the company Merlin Labs, which develops an autonomous flight system aimed at traditional military transport aircraft.
The project involves the integration of software called Merlin Pilot, capable of managing the entire aircraft flight, from takeoff to landing. The technology was designed specifically for autonomous operations and not just adapted from traditional autopilot systems, allowing for greater automated control of operations.
According to the company, completion of the technical review phase confirms that the design meets the safety and engineering requirements required by US military programs. With this, the project advances to the critical design stage, which precedes the complete integration of the system into the aircraft, followed by ground tests and flight demonstrations.
+Netherlands swaps US torpedo for French F21 Mk2 in new Orka submarines
If the program advances 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. Furthermore, the system architecture could be adapted to other types of military or civil aircraft in the future.
Source: Defence Blog | Photo: @usairforce | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
