US Air Force backs Joby’s autonomous cargo aircraft with $37M commitment

Joby Aviation has secured additional US Air Force funding for its autonomous flight technology, bringing the service’s total funding commitments to nearly $37 million, the company announced on November 4, 2026. 

Awarded through AFWERX, the US Air Force’s innovation arm, the new funding will support further development of Joby’s autonomy software and additional operational testing in the Pacific, including military exercises. 

The US Air Force has also raised the maximum value of Joby’s autonomous logistics and cargo testing contract to $50 million, leaving room for further funding. A Pentagon contract notice published on September 28, 2026, confirmed a $45 million increase in that limit, although no additional funds were committed at the time. Work under the contract is expected to continue until March 1, 2029. 

Autonomous Cessna Caravan completes 6,665-mile US tour 

Joby Aviation’s autonomous Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (J208) flying over North Carolina’s Outer Banks during its September 2026 coast-to-coast tour. (Credit Joby Aviation)The funding follows a month-long US tour by the J208, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan fitted with Joby’s autonomous flight system. 

After departing Concord, California, on September 8, 2026, the aircraft flew to North Carolina’s Outer Banks in what Joby described as the first fully autonomous flight across the US, with no control inputs from its onboard safety pilot. 

The eastbound crossing covered 5,148 kilometers (3,199 miles). Over the full tour, the J208 flew 10,726 kilometers (6,665 miles), landed in 11 states and conducted flight operations across 24 states. Ground-based operators supervised flights from as far as 4,083 kilometers (2,537 miles) away. 

The flights also supported projects under the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). In North Carolina, the J208 took part in the state’s eLIFT-NC healthcare logistics initiative. In Utah, it supported the multi-state uFLY coalition, which is evaluating autonomous flight operations in challenging terrain and weather conditions to inform future airspace integration. 

US Air Force prepares further autonomous cargo tests in the Pacific 

Joby’s autonomous flight technology, acquired through its purchase of Xwing’s autonomy division in June 2024, has completed more than 400 fully autonomous flights. 

During the Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) exercise in 2025, a Caravan equipped with the system flew between the Hawaiian Islands while being operated remotely from Guam, nearly 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) away. 

The technology has also been tested during the US Air Force’s Agile Flag exercises. According to Joby, autonomous deliveries of replacement parts allowed aircraft to return to service roughly 24 hours sooner than conventional logistics would have permitted. 

Kate Brown, Contested Logistics Tactical Airlift Lead at AFWERX, said the objective is to sustain cargo operations in contested environments while reducing the risk to aircrews and freeing up crewed aircraft for missions that require them. 

JoeBen Bevirt, Joby’s founder and CEO, said the latest funding would bring the company closer to sustained uncrewed operations. Joby is developing its autonomy software to work across different aircraft types beyond the Caravan. 

Joby expands its military aviation business 

The latest funding comes as Joby prepares to consolidate its defense activities into a dedicated business. 

In August 2026, the company agreed to acquire Ohio-based Resonant Sciences for approximately $500 million. The acquisition is expected to close in early 2027, after which Joby’s autonomy and hybrid aircraft programs are set to become part of the new defense business. 

Joby is not the only company developing autonomous Caravans for the US Air Force. In August 2025, Reliable Robotics signed a $17.4 million contract with the service to integrate and test its own autonomous flight system on the Cessna 208B.The post US Air Force backs Joby’s autonomous cargo aircraft with $37M commitment appeared first on AeroTime.

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