:

Advanced / Transformational Technology

USAF and Merlin Labs Explore Autonomous Options for KC-135

Frank Wolfe

Thursday, May 30th, 2024

SHARE:

USAF and Merlin Labs Explore Autonomous Options for KC-135

Pictured is a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill AFB, Fla. on Nov. 20th last year (U.S. Air Force Photo)

Boston-based Merlin Labs, Inc. said on May 30 that it is using data from flights of a KC-135 at MacDill AFB, Fla., "to better understand crew workload drivers and gather data to expand the autonomous capabilities of the Merlin Pilot for military use cases." "Conducted on May 14 and 15, the two flights enabled Merlin’s engineers to assess the tasks that pilots execute in-flight to determine where advanced automation capabilities would be the most impactful for safety, cost savings, and…

Congress

House Republicans’ Blueprint For Reconciliation 3.0 Includes $60 Billion For Defense

House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a blueprint for a third reconciliation bill that includes $60 billion for defense, a figure slightly below the Trump administration’s request to cover Iran war […]

Congress

Senate Dems Block Consideration Of FY ‘27 NDAA Over Iran War Concerns

Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a vote to advance consideration of the chamber’s $1.14 trillion fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization (NDAA). The procedural vote was 46-50, failing to reach […]

Congress

Concerns Raised At SASC Hearing On Unobligated Reconciliation Funds And Lack Of Updates On Iran War Cost

Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) raised concerns at a hearing on Tuesday about the majority of funds in the $153 billion first reconciliation bill being unobligated thus […]

Unmanned Systems

CBO Says Upfront Costs To Protect Military Installations From Drones Between $1 Million And $74 Million

The initial costs to acquire and deploy counter-small unmanned aircraft system (C-sUAS) defenses at individual Defense Department installations are estimated at between $1.2 million and $73.6 million depending on the […]