US Air Force invests $17.4M to test fully autonomous aircraft program

The U.S. Air Force has invested $17.4 million in Reliable Robotics to test its Reliable Autonomy System (RAS), a fully autonomous aircraft system designed to automate all phases of flight—including taxi, takeoff, en route navigation, and landing—on a Cessna 208B aircraft. This system aims to integrate large uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) safely into both civil and military airspaces by employing multiple layers of redundancy and advanced navigation technologies to enhance safety and reliability. The initiative supports the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept by enabling rapid, secure logistics across dispersed locations, thereby expanding operational flexibility and reducing risk. Reliable Robotics, a California-based company focused on FAA-certifiable autonomy for commercial and defense aviation, has been collaborating with the Air Force on various contracts involving the Cessna 208B Caravan and KC-135 Stratotanker. The company is also contributing to the development of the Air Force’s Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA