U.S. Air Force To Test Single-Pilot C-130 Flight Crews

The U.S. Air Force has partnered with Merlin Labs to flight test a Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules using an autonomous co-pilot.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, August 04, 2022 at 05:48 PM ET

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A HC-130J Combat King takes off from the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Georgia. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force is partnering with Merlin Labs to retrofit C-130J Hercules aircraft for autonomous operations, aiming to reduce the crew from two pilots to one due to a widespread pilot shortage.
Merlin Labs' technology, a "wizardry in a box" system, enables autonomous flight, responds to air traffic control, and has received initial certification basis approval for its takeoff-to-touchdown capabilities.
This move is part of a larger military trend to leverage autonomous technologies and explore reduced crew requirements across various aircraft, including Black Hawks and KC-46 tankers, to ensure future operational readiness and address personnel shortfalls.

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Can a Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) C-130J Hercules fly with just one pilot? It’s a scenario the U.S. Air Force is exploring through a new partnership with Merlin Labs, a Boston-based autonomous flight company that’s gearing up to test autonomous operations in the Air Force’s venerable cargo workhorse.

Under the collaboration, Merlin Labs will retrofit a C-130 with software and technology that will slim down the number of onboard crew, from two pilots to one. The C-130, built at Lockheed Martin’s factory in Marietta, Georgia, holds the record for the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft, according to the manufacturer. The Hercules first flew in 1954.