Aircraft automation

Air Force Study: Reliable Autonomous Solution Viable for KC-135 Stratotanker Operation

A U.S. Air Force-funded study has confirmed the viability of using Reliable Robotics’s aircraft-agnostic autonomous flight system to control all phases of KC-155 Stratotanker operation – from taxiing to takeoff and landing.

Under a Small Business Innovation Research Phase III contract, Reliable and the service branch conducted the study to understand how the Reliable solution will help enable operations with reduced crew workload while ensuring a safe and efficient automated refueling of various fleets.

With the Air Force maintaining nearly 400 KC-135 aircraft, automating its operations is expected to improve logistics capabilities, enhance readiness and achieve lower operational costs, Reliable Robotics said.

The certified automation systems provider for the commercial aviation sector started its partnership with the Air Force in 2022 after it secured an SBIR Phase II contract to design, develop and test autonomous aircraft capabilities for the service’s platforms.

In 2023, it disclosed several achievements in its work to automate the KC-135, including the ability to integrate the Remotely Operated Aircraft System solution with minor adjustments.