PteroDynamics Inc., an innovator in autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft systems, today announced that it has secured a $1.9M matching Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) award from AFWERX to expand work on its existing $1.25M Department of Defense (DoD) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract to demonstrate the company’s autonomous Transwing aircraft system as a flying communications relay platform.

PteroDynamics will use the funding increase to create more robust and resilient command and control of aircraft and incorporate advanced technology for austere VTOL operations, among other new capabilities.

TACFI is an investment program intended to accelerate emerging technology innovation from smaller American businesses to address pressing challenges of the Department of the Air Force (DAF).

“Securing TACFI funding allows PteroDynamics to focus on advancing the technology that makes the Transwing an even more effective and flexible autonomous VTOL platform,” said PteroDynamics CEO Matthew Graczyk. “The U.S. military recognizes the growing need for rapid innovation, and smaller companies are increasingly developing promising technologies that are very important to the defense industry. The TACFI and SBIR programs provide essential support to these companies and their game-changing technologies that otherwise might never be developed.”

The $1.9M TACFI award required the company to secure a matching $1.9M investment from new and existing investors. These funds will finance new capabilities and expand development on important elements of the company’s U.S. Air Force SBIR Phase II contract for an airborne communications relay platform. Improvements include:

- Enhancing command and control of Transwing aircraft through the integration of robust and resilient communication technology

- Integration of advanced technologies to facilitate VTOL operations in austere environments without the need for a ground control station (GCS)

- Further developing situational awareness and command and control (C2) interfaces for forward-deployed aircraft operators.

- Further developing multi-aircraft control by a single GCS, enabling a flexible and cost-effective range extension of tactical communication networks.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal-to-award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business, and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.

“We are grateful for the vote of confidence from our investors and the Air Force in the Transwing’s innovative capabilities and the impact it will have in future missions for years to come,” said Graczyk. “The groundbreaking work funded by this TACFI award will advance the Transwing aircraft system not only for the Air Force but also for other defense and commercial operators.”