The flights were conducted at the Pittsburgh Air National Guard Base under a waiver from the Air Force. Merlin has contracts to develop autonomous flight systems for several Air Force platforms and the 1960s-era tankers are the first in line.

• READ MORE: U.S. Air Force, Merlin Partner for KC-135 Autonomous Flight Demo

Merlin said the first flights gathered data on how to design and fine-tune the robotic controls.

“Autonomous capabilities are essential to increasing operational capacity for the USAF and enhancing national security, emphasizing the importance of these data collection flights to properly inform the integration design ahead of flight demonstrations,” Merlin CEO Matt George said in a news release. “Over the last few months, we’ve achieved important milestones on the KC-135 that allow us to strengthen the relationship between the pilot and the aircraft as well as enhance safety and operational efficiency aboard a vital military aircraft.”

This article first appeared on AVweb.com.

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Over the course of two flights on May 15 and 16 at MacDill Air Force Base (KMCF) in Florida, engineers gathered data that will inform the development of the company’s autonomous flight system, Merlin Pilot. Intended to reduce the workload of pilots amid the ongoing pilot shortage—but not replace them, at least in the short term—the technology has also drawn the attention of government agencies, including the Air Force.

Merlin engineers observed Air Force pilots as they performed various tasks and maneuvers. The goal of the campaign was to identify areas where automation could be most useful for safety, efficiency, and cost savings. Teams gathered data on pilot priorities, for example, to implement automation in a way that could allow pilots to focus on the most critical tasks.

“The data collected during these flights is critical to our phased approach to autonomy, starting with reduced crew operations, and to materially evolving our advanced automation systems,” said Matt George, CEO of Merlin. “Being able to observe multiple aerial refueling flights and see exactly how pilots are focused on critical tasks like take-off, landing, and communications in operational military use cases has given us valuable insight.”

Physical assessments, observations, and crew interviews were conducted to determine how certain KC-135 operations could be integrated into the autonomous system.

The data will further be used to support a contract between Merlin, the Air Force, Air Mobility Command (AMC), and Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) to design, integrate, test, and perform in-flight demos of Merlin Pilot on the aerial refueling tanker. The Air Force previously enlisted Merlin to explore reduced crew capabilities for the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules and is looking to automate other aircraft, such as the KC-46A Pegasus and UH-60A Blackhawk.

The FAA has also shown interest in Merlin, awarding it a $1 million contract for automated cargo network flight trials in Alaska, which the company completed successfully in July. Other aircraft that have been equipped with Merlin Pilot include the Beechcraft King Air, de Havilland Twin Otter, Cessna Caravan, Long-EZ, and Cozy Mark IV.

Merlin is seeking supplemental type certification from the FAA and has already obtained a Part 135 air operator certificate from New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority, which covers air operations for helicopters and small airplanes.

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The U.S. fighter jets and tanker deployed from bases in the U.K., according to NATO.

• READ MORE: NATO Air Forces Conduct Aerial Combat Drills Over Estonia

As part of the drill conducted Thursday, the multinational aircraft conducted a “find, fix, track, and target”—or F2T2—exercise.

“F2T2 exercises require participating members to execute multidomain operations by employing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets to locate and communicate potential target locations to other aircraft with capabilities to strike the targets in an established time limit,” NATO said.

The aerial drill took place as concern grows that NATO’s eastern flank could potentially face conflict with Russia within the next decade. Last week, Estonia Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said during a speech in Poland that intelligence indicates that allied forces have about three or four years to strengthen defenses before Russia prepares a “test for NATO,” the Associated Press reported. 

• READ MORE: NATO to Modernize AWACS Fleet with Boeing E-7A

The Boeing E-3A Sentry surveillance aircraft, known as NATO’s “eyes in the sky,” is part of the alliance’s fleet of 14 surveillance aircraft expected to retire around 2035. The aircraft is based on a Boeing 707 airliner and features a distinctive radar dome mounted on the fuselage. Flown by a three aircrew and staffed with a dozen AWACS operators, the aircraft conducts a range of missions, from air policing to evacuation operations and a spectrum of wartime missions.

• READ MORE: NATO Says Allied Forces Intercepted More Than 300 Russian Aircraft in 2023

The aircraft is capable of a total surveillance area of around 120,000 square miles, which is around the size of Poland.

Last year, NATO selected the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail to modernize the AWACS fleet, and the first of those aircraft are expected to be operational by 2031..

Watch: NATO’s ‘Eyes in the Sky’ Explained

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Under the deal announced Tuesday, Merlin will design, integrate, test, and demonstrate aspects of its Merlin Pilot autonomous flight technology on the aerial refueling tanker. In-flight demonstrations will take place in the next year, starting with a series of basic air refueling operations that reduce aircrew workload and eventually proceeding to operations with reduced crew numbers, according to the company.

• READ MORE: FAA Awards Contract for Automated Cargo Network Flight Trials in Alaska

“Integrating onto one of the most abundant and important military aircraft in the [Air Force’s] fleet allows Merlin to materially evolve our advanced automation systems, which includes enabling autonomous close formation flying for the KC-135,” said Matt George, CEO and co-founder of Merlin. “Our work with Air Mobility Command will build meaningful operating data, serving as an important step to maturing functional autonomy across the force.” 

The partnership represents the latest exploration of operating military aircraft with reduced aircrews. The Air Force has experimented with conducting an aerial refueling mission on a KC-46A Pegasus with only a pilot and boom operator. In February 2022, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) conducted a trial of operating a UH-60A Black Hawk during a 30-minute flight with no pilot or crew on board.

• READ MORE: A UH-60A Black Hawk Just Flew With No Pilot On Board

The announcement builds on the Boston-based startup’s existing industry partnerships, including New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority. In April, Merlin was awarded a $1 million contract from the FAA to demonstrate its automated flight control system designed to reduce the workload of—and eventually remove—human pilots.

“We have integrated the Merlin Pilot onto a variety of commercial aircraft and surrogate platforms,” George told FLYING. “This partnership will be the first time that Merlin deploys its technology on the KC-135 directly, which opens up a world of opportunity for the Merlin Pilot’s deployment across other larger DOD [Department of Defense] platforms.” 

• READ MORE: U.S. Air Force To Test Single-Pilot C-130 Flight Crews

In addition to the KC-135, the technology has been integrated onto platforms including the Beechcraft King Air, de Havilland Twin Otter, Cessna Caravan, Long-EZ, and Cozy Mark IV.

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“It is our aim to avoid any regional expansion of Israel’s conflict with Hamas,” Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder said. “But we stand ready and prepare to protect our partners and our interests and will act to do so. [The U.S. will also] take all necessary measures to defend our troops and our interest overseas.”

• READ MORE: DOD: ‘Significant Threat’ of Escalation Amid Israel-Hamas War

F-16s assigned to the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) on Wednesday, the 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central) confirmed. 

The F-16 squadron joins two additional F-16 squadrons, two A-10 Thunderbolt II squadrons, and one F-15E Strike Eagle squadron, in addition to strategic airlift, aerial refueling, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms (ISR), according to the command.

CENTCOM also confirmed Wednesday morning that KC-135 Stratotankers from an aerial refueling squadron based at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, had also arrived at an undisclosed location within its AOR. The CENTCOM AOR spans more than 4 million square miles, stretching from Egypt to Kazakhstan.

“The arrival of these airmen strengthens our ability to support our allied, coalition, and regional partners as we work together to enhance regional stability and security,” said Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, 9th Air Force and Combined Forces Air Component Command commander.

Over the weekend, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed troops be placed on prepare-to-deploy orders, redirected the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, and ordered the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Battery antiballistic missile defense system, as well as additional Patriot battalions.

• READ MORE: U.S. Military Banks on Deterrence

According to the Defense Department, U.S. and coalition forces were attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq and three separate times in Syria by a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets from October 17-24.

“What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near-term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran,” Ryder said. “So by virtue of our announcement over the weekend, we are preparing for this escalation, both in terms of defending our forces and responding decisively.”

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The manufacturer’s LMXT strategic aerial refueling tanker, unveiled in 2021 and based on an Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, had been expected to take on Boeing KC-46 Pegasus as a stopgap refueling option for the Air Force in seeking an update for its aging KC-135 Stratotanker fleet. 

“Lockheed Martin has decided not to respond to the U.S. Air Force’s KC-135 fleet recapitalization request for information (RFI),” the company said in a statement Monday. “We are transitioning Lockheed Martin’s LMXT team and resources to new opportunities and priority programs within Lockheed Martin, including development of aerial refueling solutions in support of the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation air-refueling system (NGAS) initiative. We remain committed to the accelerated delivery of advanced capabilities that strengthen the U.S. Air Force’s aerial refueling missions.”

Airbus responded to the development, saying it intended to go forward with the bid.

“Airbus remains committed to providing the U.S. Air Force and our warfighters with the most modern and capable tanker on the market and will formally respond to the United States Air Force KC-135 recapitalization RFI,” Airbus said in a statement. “The A330 U.S.-MRTT is a reliable choice for the U.S. Air Force: one that will deliver affordability, proven performance and unmatched capabilities.”

The bridge tanker competition is expected to produce at least 75 refueling aircraft as an interim step before the service proceeds with its next-generation tanker expected to come online in the 2040s. 

On September 14, the Air Force issued an RFI from interested companies with the capability to deliver a commercial derivative air refueling system. Responses are due Thursday.

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DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office laid out the idea for the Airborne Energy Well concept in a Request for Information (RFI) seeking to explore wireless energy transfer for drones earlier this week. The agency wants to identify technologies that could be retrofitted into existing refueling aircraft, specifically the KC-46 Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker.

“While wireless energy transfer technology has begun adoption in small applications in the commercial space, the capability within the wide range of military applications has only been marginally explored,” DARPA said. 

“By leveraging power beaming, this same tanker could also recharge a network of UAS wirelessly,” DARPA said.

The agency said it wants to build upon the research and development of wireless energy transfer for UAS already underway.

“These UAS could be designed to receive directed energy to reduce the weight of their organic energy storage,” DARPA said. “This energy transfer ability may extend range and operations, with a similar impact that air-to-air refueling has had on DOD operations.”

Much like the traditional air-to-air refueling operations that extend tactical aircraft operational range and endurance, DARPA wants to explore tactical mobile energy production and distribution for future fleets of UAS, but without the need for physical connections.

One possible strategy, DARPA said, would be an underwing power beaming pod that could produce a nearly continuous laser output of about 100kW.

The concept of extending UAS range through directed energy emerges as the Air Force looks to take other aspects of remotely piloted air combat vehicles airborne.

The Air Force is fully embracing the concept of pairing unmanned air combat platforms with piloted aircraft, such as the sixth-generation fighter and the B-21 Raider bomber, as a cost-effective way to build up fleet size , according to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.

• READ MORE: Air Force Wants Combat Drones Controlled by Piloted Aircraft

DARPA said responses to the RFI are due by July 11.

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The record-breaking 9,000-mile flight, which marked the longest ever recorded for the Air Mobility Command (AMC), began May 5 when the crew from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing departed McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, the command announced this week.

Over the course of the next 24 hours, the crew of six pilots, three boom operators, and a physician assistant tested the refueling capabilities of the KC-46, as well as collected data on the feasibility and potential risks for crew members during such a long endurance flight. 

“This 24-hour sortie is a critical step in the operational evolution of tankers, and the role the KC-46 plays in that,” said Col. Nate Vogel, 22nd Air Refueling Wing commander. 

“This sortie helps mobility forces identify how best to operate on long-duration sorties from human, to machine, to mission aspects,” Vogel added. “Long-duration flights are inherently full of risk, and conducting this operation now allows us to identify those risks, and then build and apply mitigations in a more controlled environment. 

“The Joint Force, our allies, and our partners rely on our capability to project combat power globally…we need to be ready to execute anytime, anywhere. This 24-hour sortie is a huge step in realizing that vision.”

While in air, the KC-46 refueled four U.S. Marine Corps F-35s, performed dry contacts with another KC-46, and was refueled, AMC said. In addition to flight operations, flight crew fatigue and sleepiness levels were monitored.

“Two pilot teams rotated on and off four-hour shifts,” according to an AMC statement. “A backup pilot team, ready to step in as needed, focused on gathering data and taking extensive notes. The rotating shifts ensured adequate time for rest and the safety of the mission.”

Crew members were administered the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, which is a detailed questionnaire that quantifies sleepiness, as well as the NASA-developed Psychomotor Vigilance Task test, which monitors alertness and cognitive performance. Pilot schedules were also optimized during the flight through the Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool software, AMC said.

“In flight medicine, our goal is to preserve not only the health and safety of the aircrew, but also to preserve the safety of the missions those aircrew perform,” Maj. Cory Henderson, 349th Air Refueling Squadron aeromedical physician assistant, said in a statement. 

The sortie comes close on the heels of another milestone for the tanker program. In late April, a KC-46A refueled a Spanish EF-18 Hornet in what was the first operational refueling of an international receiver. The operation, which occurred at Moron Air Base in southern Spain, in Spanish airspace, underscores its interoperability with allies and partners, according to service leaders.

“The Pegasus is now cleared to support nearly 85 percent of joint force receivers requesting air refueling from U.S. Transportation Command,” Brig. Gen. Ryan Samuelson, AMC’s KC-46A Cross Functional Team lead, said at the time.

The Air Force began operating the Boeing-produced next-generation aerial refueler in early 2019 and currently has a fleet of 57 aircraft. The service has plans to buy a total of 179 tankers, according to Boeing.

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The Air Force is retiring the aerial refueler with serial number 60-0329 after decades of service, and it is slated to be delivered to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, museum on Saturday, April 30.

The aircraft, which performed the unprecedented triple aerial refueling operation in the Gulf of Tonkin in May 1967, is a significant addition to the museum, according to officials.

The refueling feat occurred when the KC-135’s crew received an emergency request that Navy aircraft were in immediate need of refueling.

JOIN US AS WE WELCOME
KC-135R 60-0329
SATURDAY, APRIL 30https://t.co/i4q7FbL21z pic.twitter.com/IsLTrGSYKG

— National Museum USAF (@AFmuseum) April 20, 2022

“A downed U.S. Navy pilot needed to be rescued in Southeast Asia,” William McLaughlin, reference curator at the museum, told FLYING in an email. “Two Navy F-8 fighters provided cover for the pilot. For several hours, two Navy A-3 tankers kept the F-8s fueled and flying, but the group was dangerously low on fuel. The KC-135 was in the area of operations when its crew responded and refueled the tankers while they simultaneously refueled the fighters,” he said.

“This was tremendous because the KC-135 happened to be in drogue and probe configuration so that it could fuel two F-104s as its original mission,” McLaughlin said.

“The downed Navy pilot was surrounded by AAA [anti-aircraft artillery] and the Navy F-8s were doing their best to save their guy,” he added. “A valve goes down on one of the A-3s that keeps him from being able. that keeps him from being able to use the fuel he has onboard. The operation itself is highly tenuous. From a pilot perspective, the KC-135 crew must keep their plane steady because it’s refueling the A-3s who are also having to fly a steady course because they have an F-8 getting gas.”

Not only was the operation the the first time that tri-level fueling had ever been conducted, it was done in a combat zone, McLaughlin said.

The KC-135 aircrew would go on to be awarded the 1967 Mackay Trophy for most meritorious flight of the year.

“An Air Force KC-135 crew is surrounded by Navy planes that are barely in the air over another downed pilot,” McLaughlin said. “Our KC-135 crew takes their plane into hostile airspace to save lives and they do. This was the first time that a refueling crew was ever awarded the Mackay Trophy, and they deserve the recognition.”    

Adding the aircraft to the museum’s collection puts a spotlight on the big picture story of the aircraft, along with its flight crew.

“This is why we say that we are the keepers of their stories,” McLaughlin said. “We try to have aircraft that demonstrate the advancements in airpower, but also keep the people in the forefront of the conversation. I think 60-0329 fits that goal perfectly.”

Iconic KC-135

The Stratotanker was fielded in the late 1950s in order to extend the reach of Strategic Air Command during the Cold War. When it entered service in 1957, the KC-135 became a modernization milestone when it replaced propeller driven tankers of the post-war period. It’s an aircraft that the Air Force continues to fly today.

“The success of the KC-135 is demonstrated in its lifecycle,” McLaughlin said.

The Air Force initially purchased 732 KC-135s, the last of which was delivered in 1965. The service currently has an inventory of 396 aircraft: 153 in active duty, 171 in Air National Guard and 72 in Air Force Reserve.

“The KC-135 Stratotanker’s in-flight refueling capability is the foundation on which many other Air Force operations are built,” McLaughlin said. “Not only is the KC-135 an iconic plane, but its telescoping boom system and other upgrades revolutionized aerial refueling. In-flight refueling is a combat multiplier that provides the flexibility needed to have a dynamic Air Force.” 

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Lawmakers, however, drew the line at allowing the Air Force to retire the A-10 Thunderbolt II. The service—which has long attempted to retire the aircraft affectionately known as the Warthog—currently has a fleet of approximately 281 aircraft. The House defense spending package also requires the Air Force to report its timeline for re-winging the A-10.

Earlier this week, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall called the A-10 “an anchor holding back the Air Force,” Defense News reported. The service is allowed, however, to retire 18 KC-135 Stratotankers; and 14 KC-10 Extenders in 2022, as well as another dozen in 2023.

The spending package that earmarks $768.2 billion in discretionary spending for national defense also includes authorization of a 2.7 percent pay raise for the military and an overhaul of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, aimed at combating sexual assault. It now heads to the Senate for vote.

“This bill represents compromise between both parties and chambers—as a result, every single member involved has something in it they like and something that didn’t get into the bill that they wish had,” said Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. 

“This year’s procedural realities made the entire process exponentially more difficult,” Smith said. “When we get to the end of this arduous process, we often forget the hundreds of provisions we came to agreement on and focus solely on where we could not come to agreement. Ultimately, our responsibility as a Congress to provide for the common defense supersedes these areas of disagreement, making the substance of this bill and its signature into law critical.” 

Also included in the House bill are:

• Four additional CMV-22 Ospreys for the Navy
• Five additional MV-22 Ospreys for the Marine Corps 
• Two P-8s for the Navy 
• Two C-130Js for the Navy and two KC-130Js for the Marine Corps 
• One E-2D Hawkeye for the Navy 
• Two MQ-4 Tritons for the Navy
• 85 F-35s for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps 
• 5 Air Force F-15EX tactical fighters
• 12 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in fiscal year 2022 to mitigate the Navy’s strike-fighter shortfall 
• 5 CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters 
• 9 UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters for the National Guard
• 4 MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft for the Air Force

The bill also authorized additional funding for U.S. Space Command to procure commercial space situational awareness data and services, and supports development and delivery of hypersonic missile capability by the mid-2020s.

A full summary of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2022 may be found here.

One day before the House passed the NDAA, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said defense priorities would suffer should Congress not reach an agreement on DOD funding, and a continuing resolution (CR) carried over into the new year. 

“It would misalign billions of dollars in resources in a manner inconsistent with evolving threats and the national security landscape, which would erode the U.S. military advantage relative to China, impede our ability to innovate and modernize, degrade readiness, and hurt our people and their families,” Austin said in a statement. 

A CR would also slow DOD’s efforts with priorities, such as cyber, artificial intelligence, and hypersonics programs, he added.

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