AI / Autonomy / Digital Industrial Tools

Firefly Aerospace has acquired the company that provided the vision navigation software to land its Blue Ghost spacecraft on the Moon.

After its recent Miami expansion and acquisitions, FEAM Aero is balancing growth with a "back-to-basics" approach.

FL Technics expands digital capabilities with Sensus Aero acquisition to develop MRO software for external market.

USAF selects Anduril and General Atomics for CCA production contracts while continuing autonomy system competition with three other firms.

Aviation IT provider SITA has acquired Spanish firm Big Blue Analytics, the company behind flight disruption management platform OCCam.

Canada is fast-tracking the acquisition and testing process for multidomain and autonomous surveillance systems compatible with harsh arctic conditions.

SOCOM plans autonomous test range at NASA’s Stennis Space Center to rehearse missions and test unmanned systems in contested environments.

SpaceX bets on vertical integration and Starship's high launch cadence to enable orbital AI data centers and Mars colonization.

General Atomics YFQ-42A resumes flight after crash, advancing collaborative combat aircraft development with software fixes and risk reduction efforts.

The British Army narrows its search for an autonomous Apache wingman, with four companies advancing in Project NYX to deliver operational capability by 2030.

Merlin is expanding its autonomous flight platform into the commercial cargo market with the launch of a new product line called Condor.

Join Aviation Week analysts as they as they go through current thinking on this emerging technology, provide updates on key programs, assess the size of the market, and discuss the impact of CCAs on the future of air power.

Government intel agencies must move faster than ever to satisfy operators’ growing appetite for remote-sensing data.

The U.S. Marine Corps plans to reshape its aviation branch with the arrival of autonomous collaborative combat aircraft by 2030.

Autonomous flight system developer Merlin has raised $80 million in new funding through the sale of shares to an existing institution investor.

AAR's has launched its new Airvoyant unit which is designed to streamline parts purchase by 20-30% through utilizing agentic AI.

Airbus recently conducted a test flight of the autonomous H145 it is developing for the U.S. Marine Corps that for the first time integrated autonomy and edge computing from partner companies.

Donecle has raised €10 million in capital investment to support expansion in the U.S. and Europe, as well as AI development.

Near Earth Autonomy is to further develop the U.S. Marine Corps’ ability to fly uncrewed logistics missions.

A technological development launched by DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (Alias) program a dozen years ago is now a testbed.

Ametek MRO is adding new capabilities, digital technologies and investment in environmental controls.

Airbus Helicopters is actively exploring a European derivative of the H145-based autonomous Lakota connector aircraft it is developing for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Both of the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototypes are flying with mission autonomy as the service is preparing both for more intensive tests and production decisions.

Heeding lessons from modern battlefields, the U.S. Army is transforming the aviation branch with autonomous technology at all levels.

Hensoldt has struck a partnership with Helsing, the European defense AI company that is behind development of the CA-1 Europa collaborative combat aircraft.

Anduril plans to soon begin flying YFQ-44A prototypes controlled by Shield AI mission autonomy software in the U.S. Air Force’s CCA program.

British defense startup Rotron Aerospace is being bought by U.S. autonomous systems maker Ondas.

Armenia has selected Shield AI’s V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing uncrewed aircraft system for its military.

Rising security concerns and the drive for space autonomy may ward off the expected consolidation among launch service providers.

Startup Atropos unveils a subscale Tacit Spear airlifter, advancing autonomous cargo aircraft development with rapid testing and military logistics ambitions.

Controlling access to sensitive information in military programs has always been a driver of bureaucracy and inefficiency in defense procurement.

Leonardo’s autonomous rotorcraft demonstrator Proteus has made its long-awaited first flight.

The Defense Department has unveiled a new strategy meant to hasten the adoption of new artificial intelligence technologies.

GKN Aerospace and Anduril have teamed up to work together on autonomous collaborative platforms (ACP) for use by the UK military.

MROs must invest in localized supply chains and digital technologies to navigate volatile cost environments.

Shield AI announced tests of its Hivemind autonomy software for use on spacecraft, calling autonomy in space a natural extension of the air domain.

Lacking a strong local workforce, the UAE’s Edge Group turns to robotics and automation to scale production and expand its portfolio.

Northrop Grumman has secretly built a large new uncrewed aircraft system (UAS), dubbed Project Lotus.

Aero NextGen has acquired Digital Flight as part of its focus on curating tools to help MROs pick the right technology platforms.

Madrid’s funding package positions Airbus at the center of Spain’s contribution to European defense autonomy.

Voyager Technologies has announced the second artificial intelligence-focused deal in as many weeks, this time in the shape of an investment in Latent AI.

Autonomous flight system developer Merlin is to go public through a merger with a blank-check company that values the Boston-based startup at $800 million.

AAR Corp. has purchased aviation maintenance software provider Aerostrat to boost its digital portfolio.

The British Army has begun to engage with industry on the acquisition of an autonomous collaborative platform to operate alongside its Apache helicopters.

Voyager Technologies has disclosed the acquisition of software developer ElectroMagnetic Systems.

Joby-L3Harris hybrid eVTOL; low-boom X-59 taxis; Skydweller three-day flight; collaborative autonomy framework.

French defense procurement agency DGA says it is buying 1,000 Sorona micro-drones from Harmattan AI.

Autonomous air taxi startup Wisk has acquired SkyGrid, a third-party service provider for advanced air mobility aircraft, as a subsidiary.