$17.4M contract will launch autonomous cargo logistics program

Reliable Robotics, the leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced it will provide automated aircraft to the United States Air Force. The contract includes the purchase, integration, and test of the Reliable Autonomy System (RAS) onboard a Cessna 208B aircraft.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250826445888/en/

Reliable Robotics participates in Agile Flag 24-3.

The company’s FAA-certifiable technology enables continuous operations at a fractional cost compared to legacy systems. By adding autonomous capabilities to proven, type certified aircraft, operators realize greater safety, flexibility, and efficiency in the execution of their mission sets.

The Reliable Autonomy System is a complete solution for the integration of large uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) into both civil and military airspaces. The system fully automates aircraft through all phases of operation including taxi, takeoff, enroute and landing. Reliable’s system is aircraft agnostic and utilizes multiple layers of redundancy and advanced navigation technology to improve safety and achieve the levels of integrity and reliability necessary for uncrewed flight.

“Autonomous aircraft are a true force multiplier, enabling every service’s agility concepts—especially Agile Combat Employment (ACE), where success depends on rapid, unpredictable logistics across dispersed hubs,” said General Mike Minihan (Ret.), former Commander of Air Mobility Command. “Reliable’s automation shows how the Air Force is leveraging autonomy not just to reduce risk, but to expand the number and diversity of locations where sustainment can go—directly, securely, and at the tempo required to win.”

This contract is the latest collaboration between Reliable and the Air Force to advance autonomous aviation at the speed of need. The company has worked with the Air Force through a variety of contracts and exercises designed to research, collaborate, develop, and implement autonomy onto the Cessna 208B Caravan and KC-135 Stratotanker. The company also recently announced its work to support the development of the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA), the Air Force’s extensible multi-platform and multi-mission autonomy architecture, to ensure it benefits from Reliable’s recent advancements in commercially certifiable autonomy.

“Reliable is taking the first step to redefining military aviation mobility,” said Robert Rose, CEO and co-founder, Reliable Robotics. “This deployment is about bringing a dual-use autonomy system to improve safety and boost operational tempo at scale.”

This research was, in part, funded by the U.S. Government. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government.

About Reliable Robotics

Reliable Robotics is bringing FAA-certifiable autonomy to commercial and defense aviation. The company’s automation system is designed to work on any aircraft, in any airspace, and to directly address the most common causes of aviation incidents. Reliable’s vision is to transform the way we move goods and people around the planet with safer, more convenient and more affordable air transportation. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, CA and has a distributed global workforce. Learn more at https://reliable.co, and connect on LinkedIn, YouTube, and X.

About AFRL

The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.

About AFWERX

As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250826445888/en/

Reliable is taking the first step to redefining military aviation mobility. This deployment is about bringing a dual-use autonomy system to improve safety and boost operational tempo at scale. — Robert Rose, CEO and co-founder, Reliable Robotics