An operational U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI) driven ‘copilot’ from autonomous flight technology company Merlin is set to take to the skies next year.

Last updated: December 6, 2024. More for You ...

This marks the first publicly acknowledged instance of a U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker refueling a Russian-made Su-30MKM aircraft. A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 141st Air Refueling Wing ...

have been testing the Merlin Pilot system to provide autonomy and automation for the KC-135 tanker to reduce aircrew and allow crew members to focus on critical mission tasks. In February ...

The USAF's versatile tanker delivers global reach, refueling, and transport with cutting-edge tech and unmatched capability.

The U.S. Air Force has signed off on a plan to put AI in the left seat of its KC-135 tanker fleet. Autonomous flight developer Merlin announced it will begin flying the converted Boeing 707s ...

Integrating the Merlin Pilot on the KC-135 kickstarts Merlin’s Part 25 airworthiness programs and is material to continued advancements on this class of aircraft. Merlin is targeting the end of ...

Merlin Pilot could spur the development of self-flying tankers for aerial refueling, humanitarian airdrops, and other missions.

Ultimately, the Merlin Pilot KC-135 testing advances Merlin’s AI-driven autonomy software ... In July 2022, the MRTT became the first tanker to receive certification for automatic aerial refueling.

More details about AI copilot and the aircraft The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is a military aerial refueling tanker aircraft developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. Made in the 1950s ...

Airmen from the US Air Force’s 22nd Air Refueling Wing Innovation Lab at McConnell Air Force Base have invented a new remote start device for the KC-46A Pegasus, called the Auxiliary Power Unit ...