A next-generation aviation company, Joby, has successfully demonstrated the capabilities of autonomous logistics aircraft in a dynamic mission environment, in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force during the ‘Agile Flag 24-3’ exercise. The Joby team, which includes the autonomy division of Xwing—acquired by Joby in June—operated a fully autonomous Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, covering over 3,900 miles between military bases and public airports across California and Nevada.
During the exercise, the aircraft autonomously transported essential components to restore the operational readiness of various Air Force assets, navigating between nine different locations. Despite the presence of a safety pilot, the aircraft performed fully autonomous taxiing, takeoffs, and landings at each site, including several that had never been visited before, without requiring any on-the-ground infrastructure.
Joby also highlighted its capability to remotely supervise the aircraft using just a laptop and a satellite communications terminal—both of which can be carried in a single backpack.
Maxime Gariel, Autonomy Lead at Joby, stated: “We were pleased to continue demonstrating the capabilities of our autonomy technology during Agile Flag 24-3, where we completed dozens of fully autonomous aerial missions and showcased our ability to perform rapid resupply. We look forward to continuing our work with the U.S. Air Force as we further develop the suite of technologies that could enable greater automation or full autonomy, first on the Caravan and then on numerous other aircraft types.”
Earlier this year, the Xwing team participated in ‘Agile Flag 24-1,’ a similar exercise, where they completed over 2,800 miles of fully autonomous flight. This included successfully integrating autonomous aircraft into congested airspace, night operations, sloped runways, and landing at airports without infrastructure.
Col. Max Bremer, Air Mobility Command Special Access Program management officer, remarked, “The return on investment for the U.S. Air Force with this technology is significant. By using it to handle smaller cargo, we can preserve cargo aircraft for more critical tasks like transporting large parts or engines. This not only enhances the overall capability of the cargo fleet but also ensures they are used where they are most needed.”
The autonomous capabilities of the Caravan are made possible by a suite of technologies developed by Xwing’s autonomy team, which has conducted over 300 fully autonomous flights since 2020.
Joby’s acquisition of Xwing’s autonomy division and its ongoing development of autonomy technology demonstrate the company’s commitment to advancing next-generation technologies. These innovations have the potential to improve safety and broaden access to commercial flight. Additionally, Joby expects the technology to play a crucial role in accelerating existing contract deliverables with the U.S. Department of Defense and expanding opportunities for future contracts.
The views expressed in this press release are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
