The US Air Force has awarded additional funding to Joby Aviation for autonomous flight technology, bringing its total commitment to nearly $37 million. The work, awarded through AFWERX, will support software development and further operational testing in the Pacific, including follow-on military exercises. The ceiling on Joby’s operational-testing contract has risen to $50 million, but that is a maximum contract value, not the amount of new funding awarded.
The expanded work covers software integration, design updates and safety reviews, as well as testing aimed at autonomous logistics in contested environments. The Air Force’s stated objectives include reducing risks to aircrews and preserving crewed aircraft for missions that require them. Joby describes its autonomy software as platform-agnostic, with the intention of applying it to multiple aircraft types.
The funding follows demonstrations using a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, designated J208 by Joby. In 2025, the aircraft flew during the REFORPAC exercise in Hawaii under remote supervision from Guam. Joby also reports that the system delivered replacement parts 24 hours faster than conventional logistics during an Agile Flag exercise, and has completed more than 400 autonomous flights.
In 2026, the J208 made a multi-leg tour from Concord, California, to North Carolina’s Outer Banks, crossing 24 states. The aircraft conducted autonomous taxiing, take-offs, navigation and landings without control inputs from its onboard safety pilot, while operators supervised from as far as 2,537 miles away.