autonomy

An autonomous surface vehicle from Osaka University in Japan enters the competition course during the Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Maritime RobotX Challenge in Honolulu, Hawaii. U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams
Air, Land, Maritime, Military, Robotics

The Army Is Building Its Autonomy Enterprise From the Integration Up

By Richard Thomas

Activated in February, the Army’s new Capability Program Executive for Mission Autonomy is assembling an acquisition organization unlike any that…

A U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky Air National Guard, departs Karup Air Base, Denmark, June 8, 2026, for an airlift mission to Norway. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air National Guard by Lt. Col. Dale Greer and Merlin Labs.
Air

Merlin Labs: Bringing Autonomy to the Air Force’s Bread-and-Butter Fleet

By Richard Thomas

The U.S. Air Force’s autonomy future may rest less on next-generation platforms than on the 400 C-130Js and 300 KC-135s…

The new SkyCarrier autonomous drone launch and recovery system from Teledyne FLIR Defense has been successfully trialed on multiple maritime vessels, including fast attack boats and rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) at speeds up to 50km/h (30mph), demonstrating its reliability in real-world conditions. Photo Courtesy of Teledyne FLIR Defense.
Air, Land, Maritime, Military

Trends: A Decisive Shift

By Renee Knight

The DoD’s new assurance frameworks move autonomy vendors from a “trust us” to a “prove it” model, focusing on the…