Merlin and Israel Aerospace Industries have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance AI-powered autonomy for commercial cargo aircraft, focusing on converted Part 25 freighters rather than clean-sheet designs. The Boston-based autonomy developer and the Israeli aerospace company are setting up a phased programme covering joint development, system integration, regulatory preparation, platform selection and civil certification.
The partnership links Merlin’s Condor autonomy programme with IAI’s experience in passenger-to-freighter conversion and certification. Merlin aims to move its technology from demonstration toward commercial deployment in cargo operations, using existing airframes as the basis for autonomous capability. IAI’s role is expected to support the regulatory and technical path needed for certification in the civil market.
The agreement is non-binding and does not identify a specific aircraft type, launch customer or delivery timetable. It follows Merlin’s broader commercialisation strategy for Condor, which targets large, multi-crew aircraft and seeks to build a route to certified autonomous cargo operations.