Xwing Awarded Military Airworthiness for Autonomous Cessna Caravan

Xwing and fellow autonomous flight provider Reliable Robotics are now among a handful of emerging aviation firms with military airworthiness approvals.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 03:39 PM ET

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Air Force personnel stand in front of Xwing’s N101XW aircraft, a Cessna Grand Caravan modified for autonomous flight. [Courtesy: Xwing]

Key Takeaways:

Xwing's autonomous Cessna Grand Caravan received a Military Flight Release (MFR) from AFWERX, the U.S. Air Force's innovation arm, allowing it to perform cargo missions for the military.
The autonomous aircraft successfully demonstrated its capabilities during the Air Force’s Agile Flag 24-1 exercise, integrating into national airspace and delivering critical cargo across multiple airports, proving its operational relevance for agile combat employment.
This military deployment highlights the progression of autonomous flight technology, with companies like Xwing and Reliable Robotics actively pursuing further certifications and partnerships for both military logistics and eventual commercial applications, emphasizing efficiency, cost savings, and reduced risk.

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Autonomous flight technology will be deployed by the U.S. military before making its way to the commercial sector.

AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force, has awarded autonomy technology provider Xwing military airworthiness for its self-flying Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in the form of a Military Flight Release (MFR), allowing it to perform cargo missions for the Air Force in unrestricted airspace.