Merlin, the leading developer of safe, autonomous flight technology for fixed-wing aircraft, today announced that its airworthiness plan for the Merlin Pilot KC-135 testing has been accepted by the United States Air Force (USAF). This joint USAF and Merlin project will evaluate the viability of scaling the Merlin Pilot to large transport aircraft, especially its innovative AI capabilities. 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.

The airworthiness plan acceptance comes on the heels of Merlin’s recently announced collaboration with Air Mobility Command (AMC) and Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) to design, integrate, test, and demonstrate aspects of the Merlin Pilot on the KC-135. This 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).

“We’re building the Merlin Pilot to not just meet safety standards, but redefine them. Integrating the Merlin Pilot onto one of most important aircraft in the USAF’s fleet is crucial to advancing military aviation into a new era of pilot efficiency and national security, as well as progressing autonomy at scale,” said Matt George, CEO and founder, Merlin. “This is an important milestone for both Merlin and the USAF as we continue to build the Merlin Pilot to exceed the military’s operational needs.”

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.