The U.S. Air Force has signed off on a plan to put AI in the left seat of its Boeing KC-135 tanker fleet. Autonomous flight developer Merlin announced it will begin flying the KC-135s – an airframe designed in the 1950s alongside the Boeing 707 airliner from the original 367-80 prototype – with Merlin Pilot, an AI-driven robotic flight system, in 2025. “We’re building the Merlin Pilot to not just meet safety standards, but redefine them. Integrating the Merlin Pilot onto one of most important aircraft in the USAF’s fleet is crucial to advancing military aviation into a new era of pilot efficiency and national security, as well as progressing autonomy at scale,” said Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin. KC-135s, slightly narrower and shorter than the B-707, are among the oldest airframes in the USAF fleet.
Merlin has been working on the Stratotanker project for about five years, but acceptance of its “airworthiness plan” for the system was needed to get the actual flight test program underway. “Achieving this milestone demonstrates that Merlin’s system engineering processes are consistent with the airworthiness standards set by the USAF, and allows Merlin to progress towards aircraft integration, design completion, and testing operations,” the company said in its announcement.
