Joby Aviation today announced that the US Air Force has awarded additional funding to accelerate Joby’s autonomous flight technology, bringing the Air Force’s total commitment to nearly USD37 million and raising the ceiling on Joby’s operational testing contract to USD50 million.
“Awarded through AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force, the funding supports continued development of Joby’s autonomy software and expanded operational testing in the Pacific, as the Air Force moves toward sustained autonomous logistics operations,” said Joby in a press release.
The contract expansion builds on the completion of Joby’s own nationwide J208 cross-country flights, part of Joby’s 2026 Electric Skies campaign. Joby’s autonomy system flew a Cessna Caravan equipped with its technology from Concord, California to North Carolina’s Outer Banks, with zero control inputs from its onboard safety pilot. A ground-based operator monitors the flight, and maintains the ability to update routes and communicate with air traffic control in real time, continued the release. “Building on the mature autonomy stack acquired from Xwing in 2024, the system has already completed more than 400 fully autonomous flights to date. This foundation is expected to be further expanded through Joby’s planned acquisition of Resonant Sciences, which is expected to close early in 2027, accelerating the company’s defence capabilities.”
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(Image: Joby Aviation)