Autonomous flight developer Merlin has received a $500,000 contract from U.S. Africa Command to demonstrate casualty evacuation missions using a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan equipped with the company’s Merlin Pilot system. According to a Wednesday announcement, the demonstration is planned for early fiscal year 2027 in Morocco and will evaluate the aircraft’s ability to transport wounded personnel without an onboard pilot or continuous ground-based control.
Planned Demonstration
The exercise will begin with flight planning and an autonomous departure before the aircraft travels to a remote casualty collection site. Following simulated patient loading, the Caravan will return to its designated destination and complete the landing autonomously. The aircraft will be configured with a medical module providing supplemental oxygen, electrical power and mounting equipment for patient monitors. Merlin said the Grand Caravan’s large cargo door and flat-floor cabin will allow medical personnel to load patients on stretchers without specialized equipment.
The demonstration is intended to address challenges associated with casualty evacuation across remote areas of Africa, where limited medical facilities and unreliable communications can complicate transportation. U.S. Africa Command is evaluating autonomous aircraft as a means of transporting wounded service members and civilians while reducing the number of flight personnel exposed to operational risks.
Autonomous Flight Capabilities
Merlin’s system is designed to manage navigation, route planning and unexpected conditions without requiring a remote pilot. The company said the technology can communicate with air traffic control using natural language processing and adjust its flight path to avoid hazards. It is also designed to continue operating along an authorized route if communications are interrupted.
“Onboard autonomy could help overcome those constraints by accomplishing the CASEVAC mission from end to end, even when communications are disrupted,” Merlin founder and CEO Matt George said in the company’s announcement.
Merlin said the Caravan demonstration could eventually lead to similar capabilities aboard larger aircraft, including a Beechcraft King Air variant. The company identified the King Air’s additional cabin space, payload capacity and twin-engine configuration as potential advantages for transporting multiple patients and medical personnel. No timeline has been announced for a follow-on King Air demonstration.
The project follows Merlin’s ongoing work developing autonomous capabilities for military aircraft, including its C-130J program under a separate contract with U.S. Special Operations Command.
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