Merlin, a leading developer of autonomous flight technologies, has inked a deal with the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to explore the integration of uncrewed flight capabilities into the KC-135 Stratotanker. This marks a significant step forward in the development of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) for military applications, particularly in the critical domain of aerial refueling.
The agreement tasks Merlin with designing, integrating, testing, and demonstrating aspects of their “Merlin Pilot” system on a KC-135 operated by Air Mobility Command (AMC) and Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC). The Merlin Pilot leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable autonomous flight operations, potentially including taxiing, takeoff, landing, and aerial refueling maneuvers.
The potential benefits of uncrewed KC-135s are multifaceted. Increased endurance and reduced crew workload figure prominently, with uncrewed tankers potentially offering longer refueling missions and freeing up human pilots for more demanding tasks. Additionally, uncrewed operations could enhance operational flexibility and safety, allowing for deployments in high-threat environments or challenging weather conditions.
However, significant technical and operational hurdles remain before uncrewed tankers become a reality. Integrating complex autonomous systems into the KC-135’s airframe and existing avionics suite presents a significant engineering challenge. Additionally, regulatory and safety concerns surrounding uncrewed flight in shared airspace need to be addressed.
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