Reliable Robotics Demonstrates the Integration of Automated Aircraft into the National Airspace System with the Federal Aviation Administration

Reliable Robotics, a leader in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems, completed a series of simulations and flight tests demonstrating successful integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems into congested airspace as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Urban Air Mobility Airspace Management Demonstration (UAMD). Funded by the FAA through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), the demonstration included a week-long series of flights in Northern California.

“The flight tests conducted by Reliable Robotics highlighted the ability for new aircraft systems to interact with third-party service providers and seamlessly integrate into future airspace environments, and provided critical data for future operations,” said Diana Liang, Enterprise Portfolio Manager at the FAA.

The test construct demonstrated Reliable’s ability to execute vectoring, airspeed diverts, and fly under various simulated weather conditions in simulated Class B airspace. Reliable shared aircraft telemetry through the company’s control center to OneSky, a third-party service provider, who in turn transmitted the data to the FAA’s NextGen Integration & Evaluation Capability (NIEC) research lab. FAA air traffic controllers participated in the test and provided the FAA NextGen program office with critical validation and insights for its UAM Conops 2.0.

Reliable Robotics making autonomous flight even closer with industry leading certification milestone

Reliable Robotics, a leader in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems, announced this week its certification plan was formally accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Reliable autonomous flight system enables continuous autopilot engagement through all phases of aircraft operation including taxi, takeoff and landing. This landmark achievement marks unrivalled progress towards the certification of fully automated aircraft.

“Reliable is the only company that has reached this critical point, positioning them as the clear front-runner in the FAA certification process for autonomous aircraft,” said Eric Schulz, former Rolls-Royce and Airbus executive. “Reliable’s automation system will make aviation even safer and provide more affordable air transportation for cargo and passengers anytime, anywhere.”

Notably, the certification plan leverages existing regulations for normal and transport category aircraft, and does not require any special conditions or exemptions. “This agreement concludes many years of effort with the FAA to rigorously determine how autonomous systems will be integrated into aircraft,” said Juerg Frefel, Co-founder and CTO of Reliable Robotics. “Working within current rules enables us–and the FAA–to move faster and continue to improve the high levels of safety we have come to expect in aviation.”

Reliable’s autonomous aircraft system, recently demonstrated as part of U.S. Air Force and NASA flight test campaigns, includes key technologies that will prevent common causes of aviation accidents and improve operational efficiency. High-integrity navigation systems make it possible to safely fly in lower visibility weather conditions without costly ground infrastructure. An “always on” autopilot also enables any aircraft to be remotely piloted with continuous engagement from the departure gate to the arrival gate.

”We are incredibly grateful to our FAA partners for their engagement and thorough review of this system, and are excited about the safety benefits this technology will bring to aviation,” said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO at Reliable Robotics. “Autonomy can and will be certified in the very near future, and this milestone is evidence that the United States and the FAA are going to be leading the way.”

Reliable Robotics and NASA complete first-of-its-kind flight tests to advance aviation safety

One of the leaders in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems - Reliable Robotics, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), have this week announced the completion of flight tests to substantiate the use of existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) primary surveillance radar (PSR) data to improve the safety of the National Airspace System (NAS). Reliable Robotics has been working with NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign since 2021 to advance the safe, secure and efficient integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems. Of note – the FAA granted NASA limited access to PSR data for these specific flights conducted by Reliable Robotics – a step towards utilizing existing radar infrastructure for Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems.

As part of the campaign, Reliable Robotics coordinated encounters of two of its aircraft in California while data was being collected by FAA ground-based radars as well as a commercial air-to-air radar. These flights will help NASA analyze and characterize the accuracy of surveillance radars, which will be used to develop a comprehensive safety case for DAA systems that utilize existing PSR data.

“We appreciate the close collaboration with the FAA and Reliable Robotics to collect meaningful data from flights to improve our collective understanding of using radar for DAA,” said Brad Snelling, Partner Chief Engineer for the AAM National Campaign at NASA. “These landmark flights will help the entire AAM industry further their understanding and future use of PSR data to enhance aviation safety.”

Making high quality PSR data available to pilots in the cockpit, along with certified alerting and guidance features, will significantly improve situational awareness and prevent mid-air collisions. Automatic Dependent-Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) technology will continue to play an important role in the safe integration of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) in the NAS, but it requires that all aircraft install and operate equipment. Secure access to the FAA’s medium and long-range PSR network will expand these safety benefits and provide accurate position data on aircraft, even for those without ADS-B.

“We believe PSR data can save lives today,” said Robert Rose, Co-Founder and CEO of Reliable Robotics. “We are honoured to partner with NASA on a campaign focused on making the airspace safer for everyone.”

Reliable Airlines appoints Tom Klassen as President

Reliable Airlines, a cargo airline based in Albuquerque has announced the addition of Tom Klassen as President and Director of Operations to support the growth of operations and future integration of safety-enhancing systems developed by its parent company, Reliable Robotics. 

The airline team has established a safety management system and operational procedures and has a proven record of safety, 100% flight completion and 99.9% dispatch reliability, earning the airline more routes in New Mexico.

Formerly known as AirDialog, Reliable Airlines aligns the cargo operation brand more closely with Reliable Robotics. The team at Reliable Airlines will have the unparalleled opportunity to lead the industry with the integration of automation that will improve aviation safety. Reliable Robotics is designing an automation system that will enable auto-taxi, auto-takeoff, and auto-landing and has sophisticated fault detection to identify and respond to unanticipated anomalies faster.

Reliable Robotics and Inmarsat collaborate on commercial satellite communications solution for remote piloted aircraft.....

A Memorandum of understanding signifies a major step towards safely integrating remotely piloted cargo aircraft to meet the growing demand for air freight.

Inmarsat has announced a collaboration with Reliable Robotics, a leader in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems, to support the safe, secure and efficient integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems into the US National Airspace System and airspace worldwide.

Inmarsat’s Velaris satellite communications service provides connectivity between remote pilots and aircraft for airspace access, including voice and digital communication links with air traffic control. By using existing certified airframes and commercial satellite networks, this new operating model can be brought to market quickly, without costly infrastructure, to expand the operational range for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS). 

Automation and remotely piloted aircraft could be key to supporting the future growth of freight volumes and alleviating the pressure on stretched supply chains, particularly for time-sensitive deliveries. Reliable Robotics is driving the industry forward with the automation of cargo aircraft to increase safety, improve efficiency and open up more routes to regional airports. However, automated aircraft technologies must be highly reliable and achieve required global certifications and regulatory safety approvals to gain access to airspace.  

Reliable Robotics opens new research, development and manufacturing centre in Silicon Valley

Reliable Robotics, a leader in safety-enhancing aviation technologies, celebrated the opening of a new engineering and development centre at its headquarters with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, top local elected officials, and representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week. The expansion was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks from Congresswoman Eshoo, and California State Senator Josh Becker highlighting innovation in the region.

California Congresswoman Anna Eshoo participates in the unveiling

“Reliable Robotics is on a mission to make aviation safer with technologies like auto-landing and auto-takeoff systems. It’s exciting to get a glimpse of the transformational aviation safety technology being developed in the 16th district,” said Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. “In my two decades in Congress, I have promoted policies that foster innovation in Silicon Valley, and I am thrilled that Reliable Robotics is leveraging our talented workforce.”

Reliable Robotics is designing advanced autopilot systems with high-precision navigation that will enhance aviation safety by enabling all-weather auto-taxi, auto-takeoff and auto-landing, without new ground infrastructure. For the small towns and rural communities served by our nation’s more than 5,000 general aviation airports, only a fraction of which have airline service, these technologies will improve access and enable the delivery of time-critical shipments like medical supplies.

The team is manufacturing and testing high-performance actuators, flight computers and other components in-house. This technology is the backbone of a continuous engagement autopilot that will prevent loss of control in flight, controlled flight into terrain, fuel mismanagement and other causes of fatal aviation accidents.

U.S. Air Force awards large aircraft automation study to Reliable Robotics

Reliable Robotics announced this week, a United States Air Force contract to explore the automation of large, multi-engine jets. This study will include a feasibility assessment of full and limited aircraft automation features for cargo operations. Remotely piloted aircraft will enable the Air Force to increase mission tempo worldwide and leverage a certifiable commercial solution for defence industry needs at fractional costs and extend aircraft capabilities.

“Headquarters Air Force Mobility Functional Integration Team supports the efforts of Reliable Robotics and the development of their aircraft automation systems. Reliable provides capabilities that will help close logistical gaps so that the United States Air Force can execute their role within the Joint Warfighting Concept,” said Col. Sean R. McClune, of the United States Air Force. “We are interested in Reliable Robotics not only for their effectiveness in supporting the warfighter in Contested Logistics but also for their novel approach of outfitting legacy aircraft with cutting-edge automation kits. This is of great value to the U.S. Government because it will help solve the demand for short to medium-range point-to-point logistics without the need to manufacture new aircraft, which will ensure critical logistics are available at speed and scale to all regions of the country.”

Reliable Robotics gets phase III U.S. Air Force contract to optimize aircraft autonomy and conduct flight test campaigns

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to further demonstrate the performance and safety of remotely piloted aircraft in more operating environments. Reliable has now won sequential Phase I, Phase II and Phase III SBIR contracts from the government to advance autonomous capabilities for existing aircraft. With this most recent award, Reliable will build on its set of autonomy solutions to optimize aircraft control under a broad range of contingencies, and then test them in a series of flight test campaigns.

“We value our strong partnership with the Air Force and AFWERX to advance multiple autonomy solutions across the Department of Defense for various aircraft platforms,” said Kevin Sagis, Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer at Reliable Robotics. “We look forward to collaborating again and building on the progress our team made during the successful Phase II SBIR contract. This effort dovetails very well with our commercial autonomy development, accelerating our remote piloting solution for the benefit of both commercial and government customers.”

Reliable Robotics and Astral Aviation to collaborate to improve safety and connectivity across Sub-Saharan Africa with automated aircraft

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems and Kenya-based airline Astral Aviation, today announced a strategic collaboration with the goal of enhancing aviation safety and increasing air cargo connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa through the use of automated aircraft. 

Africa is poised for economic and trade growth but held back by challenges related to the safety, speed and cost of transportation, including limited intra-African air services. The companies will work together to develop operational, regulatory and business plans to launch automated aircraft operations in sub-Saharan Africa.

Reliable Robotics is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify its automation system on the Cessna 208 Caravan, and to begin commercial cargo operations in the United States. The collaboration with Astral Aviation will enable the subsequent international expansion into Africa where the Caravan is an essential utility aircraft with nearly 350 currently operating across the continent.

“We are preparing for explosive growth in regional trade and the need to transport significantly more air cargo across Africa,” said Sanjeev Gadhia, Founder and CEO at Astral Aviation. “Automation will enable us to serve more routes. We look forward to working with Reliable to safely transport larger payloads over longer distances at lower cost with remotely operated aircraft.”

Sub-Saharan Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is growing at four percent1. The widespread adoption of mobile technologies has enabled e-commerce to leapfrog legacy banking, communications and retail infrastructure, and is expected to grow to half a billion users by 20252. Expanding the air cargo network is critical to GDP and e-commerce growth in a continent with landlocked countries, busy ports, poor road networks, sparse transportation infrastructure, and an average distance between major cities of 4,100 kilometres.

“The African aviation sector is primed for change and automated aircraft can be part of the solution to the market’s constraints,” said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO at Reliable Robotics. “Astral has deep experience operating in Africa, and we share a vision for how automation and remotely piloted aircraft can help the region reach its economic potential with safer, more flexible and cost-efficient air transport.”

Reliable has established leadership in designing, building and demonstrating its remotely piloted system and made aviation history with milestone flights in 2019 and 2021 in Northern California. Astral Aviation is the fastest growing All-Cargo Airline in Africa, and recently announced that it will be the launch operator of the Embraer E190 Freighter aircraft. Together, Reliable Robotics and Astral Aviation are working on a roadmap to expand automated air cargo solutions that will provide significant economic and societal benefit for Africa.

1 International Monetary Fund: Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, April 2022
2 International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce: The Rise of eCommerce in Africa

Reliable Robotics achieves major certification milestone with G-1 issue paper acceptance

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems,  announced this week that the certification basis of its advanced navigation and autoflight system has been accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The final G-1 issue paper defines the certification basis for the company’s Supplemental Type Certification (STC) on the Cessna 208 Caravan, a popular cargo aircraft. This STC will enhance safety by enabling continuous autopilot engagement through all phases of aircraft operation, including taxi, takeoff, cruise, landing, braking and rollout, with a single pilot on board for abnormal procedures.

“We are very appreciative of the FAA’s noteworthy attention to detail and ongoing support,” said Mark Mondt, Director of Certification at Reliable Robotics. “This certification basis is the culmination of years of work with the FAA and represents a key step towards bringing advanced navigation and autoflight systems to normal category aircraft. We look forward to continuing our work together as we move into the next phase of the certification process.”

The FAA uses issue papers to provide a structured means of describing and tracking the resolution of significant technical and regulatory issues that occur during a certification project. The signed G-1 issue paper represents formal agreement between Reliable Robotics and the FAA on the applicable airworthiness and environmental requirements for the company’s advanced automation system.

Today, Controlled Flight Into Terrain and Loss of Control are the #1 and #2 causes of fatal accidents in small aircraft. Advanced automation systems will reduce the occurrence of these accidents and bring an unprecedented level of safety to commercial aviation through precision navigation, sophisticated flight planning and robust flight controls.

Kevin Sagis appointed as senior vice president and chief engineer at Reliable Robotics

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, announced today the addition of Kevin Sagis as Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer. Sagis joins in a senior strategic and technical leadership role as the company accelerates its development program to certify its Remotely Operated Aircraft System. Sagis has over 30 years of design, development, manufacturing, test and operational experience for the commercial sector, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Defense (DoD). He has successfully taken multiple programs to flight, including specially modified aircraft and space launch vehicles.

 “Kevin is one of the most innovative technical leaders with an impressive record bringing complex mission-critical engineering programs from idea to reality across the space, aviation and defence sectors,” said Juerg Frefel, Co-founder and CTO at Reliable Robotics. “He also has deep experience building and fostering high performing teams which will support our continued growth.”

In his role at Reliable Robotics, Sagis will drive the engineering vision and execution for the company’s Remotely Operated Aircraft System. At Virgin Orbit, he served as Chief Engineer and Senior Vice President of Engineering, working with Sir Richard Branson to reimagine how a 747-400 carrier aircraft could be used to launch orbital rockets. As one of the original visionaries, he was instrumental in forming the team and the technology that built the foundation for taking the company public. He was responsible for architecting the integrated system from initial concept to multiple successful orbital flights, leading a team of several hundred engineers. He has deep expertise in aircraft systems and directed the structural, electrical and subsystems modification of the 747-400.

Prior to Virgin Orbit, Sagis was at Lockheed Martin as technical lead on multiple rocket and aircraft-related programs. He was the Chief Engineer for the homeland defence program that launched rockets from the cargo hold of a C-17, achieving 100 percent mission success within three years. Earlier Sagis founded and served as Chief Engineer at Paragon Labs where he led the design, deployment and manufacturing of a vertical takeoff, vertical landing vehicle using a liquid oxygen/ethanol regeneratively cooled propulsion system. Prior to that, he supported multiple commercial vehicles for Lockheed Martin, NASA advanced concept studies and flight design software for the Space Shuttle program.

“Aviation is ready for a revolution and remotely operated aircraft will be key to this new era in the industry,” said Sagis. “I’m excited to join former colleagues and an incredible team that has already made aviation history on the path to commercialization of remotely piloted systems.”

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Reliable Robotics Awarded U.S. Air Force Contract to Advance Aircraft Autonomy

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, confirmed this week it was awarded an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) contract to design, develop and test autonomous aircraft capabilities on Air Force platforms. As part of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract, Reliable Robotics will demonstrate how its aircraft agnostic design can be quickly adapted for new airframes through simulated and real-world flight tests. The autonomy upgrade will be capable of installation on a wide variety of aircraft.

“Our remotely piloted aircraft system unlocks opportunities for all defense agencies and drives mission success in cargo delivery, logistics, surveillance, and other applications where higher tempos and lower costs are vital,” said Dr. David O’Brien, Major General (Ret.), and Senior Vice President of Government Solutions at Reliable Robotics.

The company has a track record of industry-firsts on the path to Federal Aviation Administration certification of its Remotely Operated Aircraft System. Reliable Robotics made commercial aviation history in 2019 by remotely piloting a Cessna 172 Skyhawk over a populated region without any onboard crew, and in 2021 by remotely operating the Cessna 208 Caravan, a popular cargo aircraft, from a control center over 50 miles away. The same year, the company was named a Collier Trophy finalist for great achievements in aeronautics in the United States.

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Reliable Robotics and Vantis Partner to Advance Automated Aviation in North Dakota

Reliable Robotics, has announced a joint agreement with Vantis in North Dakota designed to advance repeatable, scalable and economically viable operations of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). The collaboration directly supports the North Dakota Department of Transportation’s participation in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) BEYOND program for UAS.

“This is an exciting and mutually beneficial partnership,” said Trevor Woods, Executive Director of the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), which administers Vantis. “Both Vantis and Reliable Robotics are working towards expanding the capabilities of large UAS operations.”

Reliable Robotics was founded in 2017, and within an 18-month period, flew an uncrewed Cessna 172 over a populated area in controlled airspace. The company demonstrated remote piloting from its control center in 2021, and is currently working towards certification of its Remotely Operated Aircraft System on a popular cargo aircraft, the Cessna 208 Caravan.

“We have a long-standing relationship with NPUASTS and share a vision of enabling UAS and remotely piloted operations at scale across North Dakota,“ said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO of Reliable Robotics.

Vantis has received a total of $48 million in funding from North Dakota’s state legislature to build a first-of-its-kind statewide UAS network for commercial use. Vantis is part of NPUASTS, one of the world’s leading programs for UAS research and development. Reliable Robotics is working with NPUASTS to establish the Concept of Operations for UAS utilizing the Vantis system.

“North Dakota has invested in the creation and build-out of Vantis in order to enable commercial UAS flights that are widespread and commonplace,” said Jim Cieplak, Program Manager of Vantis. “Our collaboration with Reliable Robotics will build towards that goal and prove the viability of Vantis in commercial use cases.”

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New cargo airline from Reliable Robotics

Reliable Robotics, a leader in automated aircraft systems, has announced the appointments of David DeRose as Director of Finance and Lee Tomlinson as Director of Operations to the company’s fully-owned airline subsidiary in preparation for its first commercial cargo flights. 

DeRose and Tomlinson join Jeff Drees, Director of Cargo Strategy, to begin cargo services this year. Reliable Robotics will continue to grow its airline team and operational experience as part of a phased certification approach to bring its Remotely Operated Aircraft System and services to market.

Today commercial aircraft typically fly through larger hubs, while many rural and remote communities are not serviced regularly. Reliable Robotics is building a remotely piloted system that has the capability to land on almost any airstrip, enabling point-to-point deliveries to underserved regional airports. Once the system is certified for commercial use, cargo operators will be able to expand direct routes to more locations and gain the flexibility to fly more frequently with remotely piloted aircraft. The versatile system can be adapted to almost any aircraft, including new electric and hybrid-electric propulsion platforms.

"We are working with leading cargo carriers eager to integrate remotely piloted systems into their fleets," explained Jeff Drees, Director of Cargo Strategy for Reliable Robotics and former Co-owner and Chief Commercial Officer of Ameriflight. "By demonstrating crewed air cargo delivery first, we will build a solid foundation for the transition to remotely operated flights."

Reliable Robotics Raises $100 Million to Expand Access to More Places With Remotely Piloted Cargo Operations

Aautomated aircraft systems firm Reliable Robotics has confirmed a $100 million Series C funding round led by Coatue Management has been completed. Coatue joins past investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Eclipse Ventures, Teamworthy Ventures and Pathbreaker Ventures to bring total fundraising over $133 million. 

With its innovative airframe independent technology, Reliable’s Remotely Operated Aircraft System is designed to expand safe, flexible and efficient air transportation service to more locations. The capital raised enables the company to scale its team to support its first aircraft certification program and expedite the launch of commercial cargo operations.

“We believe Reliable Robotics is a leader in aircraft automation for commercial aviation,” said Jaimin Rangwalla, a Senior Managing Director at Coatue. “We were impressed by the team's clear vision, measured certification progress and track record of industry achievement. We are proud and excited to support Reliable’s goal to be the first to deliver FAA-certified, remotely piloted systems to market.”

Reliable Robotics is positioned to unlock access to thousands of underutilized regional and municipal airports in all corners of the country, greatly expanding air transportation options for cargo and eventually passengers. The company’s technology handles all phases of flight including taxi, takeoff, landing and parking, while licensed pilots remotely supervise each flight from a control centre. The system has the capability to autoland on smaller airstrips in rural or remote areas without requiring expensive infrastructure to be installed and maintained.

Reliable Robotics and NASA working together to advanced air mobility

-Reliable Robotics, a leader in automated aircraft systems, was selected as a vehicle flight partner for NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility’s (AAM) National Campaign. The company will conduct flight tests during this first phase of the National Campaign, slated for 2022. The tests serve to demonstrate how the company’s automation system can be integrated into an experimental ecosystem that connects airspace providers, infrastructure services and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) vehicles.

“We look forward to working with all of our partners as we progress with our National Campaign itinerary," said Starr Ginn, AAM National Campaign lead. "Reliable Robotics brings an aircraft-agnostic automation system to the group, which will add to our varied testing portfolio."

NASA’s vision is to help create safe, sustainable, accessible, and affordable aviation for several uses at the local and regional level. Expanding access to places previously not served or underserved by aviation is at the core of the mission. The focus of the campaign is the integration of air taxis, cargo delivery aircraft and other new air vehicle concepts into the National Airspace System. To facilitate community-wide advancement of technology that supports these operations, NASA selected thirteen companies and one university across three categories — vehicle developers, airspace and infrastructure entities — to participate in the AAM National Campaign.

Participating vehicle developers include Reliable Robotics, Joby Aviation and Wisk. Reliable Robotics intends to advance several key areas, including trajectory planning, integrated flight operations, contingency management, air-to-air conflict management and constrained conflict management.

“Our team is honored to collaborate with NASA to further demonstrate Advanced Air Mobility capabilities through remote operation of our aircraft,” said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO of Reliable Robotics. “It’s exciting to participate in a program with industry partners at the forefront of expanding our future airspace systems.”

Reliable Robotics designed and has demonstrated its remotely operated aircraft system on two aircraft types: a Cessna 172 with no one on board, and a larger Cessna 208 Caravan, a popular cargo aircraft, piloted from a control center inside company headquarters. With experimental airworthiness approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, they have flown over populated regions; and continue to focus development efforts on certification of the system for commercial use.

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Reliable Robotics chosen by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to evaluate autonomous aircraft capabilities for government missions

Reliable Robotics announced this week it was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to determine how the company’s remotely operated aircraft system can support the United States Air Force (USAF). The company was chosen to participate in the program based on the technical merit and innovation of their approach to autonomous flight, as well as the qualifications of their team. Their automation technology is aircraft agnostic, allowing dual application on civil and USAF platforms, increasing mission readiness use and reducing potential loss of life in harsh environments.

Reliable Robotics currently operates a large Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) that has flown overpopulated regions in the U.S. with experimental airworthiness approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. During this Phase 1 contract, Reliable Robotics will further examine with the USAF, key areas of impact and opportunity for its dual-use flight technology, including:

Logistics support for facilitating greater aircraft utilization, global reach and readiness with faster aircraft availability.

Increased mission frequency and efficiency in more operating environments with fewer crew, weather and maintenance limitations.

Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) providing robust mission generation, dwell and collection opportunities.