Fri, Mar 29, 2024
Next Phase to Continue Evaluation of RPA Caravan's Tech, Applicability to USAF Operations
Reliable Robotics has been selected for the USAF AFWERX Tactical Funding Increase Program, granting them additional funding in their efforts to "facilitate the delivery of strategic capabilities for the Department of the Air Force".
Reliable says it was "competitively chosen for the award from a large list of providers during the funding evaluation", but there may not have been too much competition given how mature, polished, and operable their remote-piloted Caravan is. Selection under the Funding Increase is accompanied by an SBIR Phase III contract, continuing the work they did under Phase II. Reliable Robotics has demo'd their RPA at AGILE FLAG and gained military airworthiness for operational missions with their C-208. Most interestingly is a somewhat underpublicized element of their contract where Reliable Robotics worked on a study to determine how applicable their tech would be to strategic, large logistical aircraft like the KC-135 Stratotanker. That project was shown back in October of 2023, and portends an interesting what-if of a fleet of RPA KC-135s. That study said that the Stratotanker could “readily accommodate” the required equipment “with only modest adjustments”. It’s funky stuff,
and that’s exactly the kind of thing the Air Force created AFWERX for: Agile, off the wall applications of workable civilian tech.
"The TACFI Program is a valuable funding mechanism to bolster SBIR projects and its application to autonomy development unlocks significant product acceleration, maturation and demonstration of operationally relevant mission sets," said Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Ralston, Branch Chief over Autonomy Prime. His unit is overseeing most of the AFWERX entries under the autonomous or remotely-operated umbrella. "Autonomy is a key enabler for future military tactical air dominance and forward basing operations."
"TACFI funding is an important milestone signifying our autonomous flight system is moving forward toward operational implementation," said David O'Brien, Senior VP of Government Solutions at Reliable Robotics. "Reliable is laser-focused on U.S. leadership in aviation and delivering the Air Force unrivaled automation capabilities for multiple aircraft types within existing inventory, in reduced crew, and crewless modes to defeat any threat, at any time, anywhere on earth."
More News
Very High Frequency The frequency band between 30 and 300 MHz. Portions of this band, 108 to 118 MHz, are used for certain NAVAIDs; 118 to 136 MHz are used for civil air/ground voi>[...]
Aero Linx: Aviation Suppliers Association Established February 25, 1993, the Aviation Suppliers Association (ASA), based in Washington, D.C., is a not-for-profit association, repre>[...]
Have A Story That NEEDS To Be Featured On Aero-News? Here’s How To Submit A Story To Our Team Some of the greatest new stories ANN has ever covered have been submitted by our>[...]
From 2021 (YouTube Version): Colorado Campus Offers aVariety Of Aerospace Entertainment And Education Wings over the Rockies Exploration of Flight is the second location for the Wi>[...]
Also: Paramotor Champ's, Electric Ultralight, ICON BK Update, Burt Rutan at Oshkosh! The Popular Rotorcraft Association is reaching out for help in rebuilding their private runway >[...]