The US Air Force has awarded Joby Aviation additional funding for autonomous-flight development and testing, bringing its total commitment to nearly $37 million and raising the ceiling on the company’s operational-testing contract to $50 million. Awarded through AFWERX, the service’s innovation arm, the funding will support software development, design updates and safety reviews, alongside further military exercises in the Pacific. The value of the latest award was not disclosed.
The follow-on tests are intended to advance autonomous airlift for military logistics. AFWERX is pursuing the technology to strengthen logistics resilience and reduce risks to aircrews, including in contested environments. The contract ceiling is not a guarantee that the full $50 million will be paid.
Joby’s system has been tested on a Cessna Caravan. The company reports that it completed a multi-leg flight tour from Concord, California, to North Carolina’s Outer Banks, spanning 24 states, without control inputs from the onboard safety pilot. The aircraft was remotely supervised from as far as 2,537 miles away. Joby reports more than 400 autonomous flights to date.
During Pacific military exercises in 2025, the aircraft in Hawaii was operated remotely from Guam. Joby is developing the system for potential defence and civilian uses, including cargo operations and emergency response.