Air Force

The agency says successful AI dogfighting trials could support the use of autonomous systems in other complex scenarios.

The Air Force is building an army of artificial intelligence-powered warfighters, each of which will command a fleet of small, buzzing drones.

The manufacturer says the technology is designed to accelerate its path to supplemental type certification with regulators in the U.S. and New Zealand.

The partners have already installed a system at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, with plans to add Frederick Municipal Airport and Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport.

The company will inherit several pending patents and government contracts to ramp up development of its hybrid-electric propulsion system.

The manufacturer’s HEX testbed and demonstrator aircraft will help it evaluate a future family of large, self-flying VTOL models.

During the trials, the aircraft’s electronics and instrumentation are evaluated in temperatures ranging from 110 degrees to minus-25 degrees Fahrenheit.

The light eVTOL manufacturer is working with AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force, to assess the aircraft for a range of use cases.

The company is now ramping up to for-credit FAA testing and expects to produce 12 aircraft this year, among other projections.

The Boston-based company says the approval puts it on a viable path to certification and commercial operations for Merlin Pilot, its flagship autonomous flight system.