Autonomous flight

In another milestone on the road to fully Autonomous Formation Flight and Autonomous Air-to-Air Refueling (A4R), Airbus Defence and Space has autonomously guided and controlled a drone using an A310 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) flying testbed.

BAE Systems has unveiled a fascinating new autonomous, hybrid, VTOL UAV for military use. The STRIX, developed in Australia, folds to fit inside a shipping container, and is capable of carrying 160 kg (353 lb) of payload over 800 km (500 miles).

A Lockheed Martin fighter jet trainer called the VISTA X-62A has become the first tactical aircraft to be controlled by artificial intelligence, taking to the air for over 17 hours during a test flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California.

With an eye to taking autonomous flight to the next level, the US Air Force has awarded a contract to study how to turn multi-engine transport jets into robotic aircraft that can handle all aspects of a flight by themselves, from taxi to landing.

Back in 2020, California-based startup Pyka launched an autonomous electric crop duster called the Pelican. Now the company has developed a cargo-carrying version that's billed as the world's largest autonomous electric cargo airplane.

Carrying up to 96 small USPS packages in its internal cargo bay, the new Cento needs nothing more than two parking spaces for takeoff, landing and automatic unloading. MightyFly is working with the FAA to expand its long-range flight authorization.

The line between crewed and uncrewed aircraft has blurred even more after a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter carried out a demonstration cargo mission as well as a medical "emergency rescue" entirely on its own without anyone aboard or human guidance.

Wisk Aero has bumped up the passenger-carrying capacity of its upcoming air taxi from two to four, and none of those will be a pilot. The company intends to take its 6th-gen autonomous eVTOL to market, and will now be seeking FAA type certification.

Zipline has developed and patented an AI-driven safety system it says allows autonomous drones to detect and avoid other aircraft and drones up to 2 km away in all directions, using a light, cheap and robust microphone array. Will it satisfy the FAA?

While aerial drones have many uses, there are some situations where ground-based drones are a better choice – they do use less battery power. The HUUVER combines aspects of the two in one vehicle, as it features both propellers and tank-like treads.

DARPA's Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program has taken another step forward, with a US Army UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter taking to the air over Fort Campbell, Kentucky on February 5 for a 30-minute autonomous flight with no one aboard.

Multicopter drones have many uses, but they're still held back by short flight times and limited lifting capacities. The Firefly quadcopter is designed to address those shortcomings, with the ability to fly for about two hours and carry up to 100 lb.