Reliable Robotics teams up with USAF to develop autonomous flight architecture 

Reliable Robotics, a US startup specializing in autonomous flight systems, announced on July 29, 2025, that it has started work with the United States Air Force (USAF) on the development of so-called Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP).  

This project, which is taking place under the aegis of a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), aims to leverage the technology Reliable Robotics has developed for commercial aviation and apply it to the military domain.  

One of the advantages of the Autonomy-Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA) that Reliable Robotics and the USAF are working on is that these autonomous flight systems will be deployable across multiple military platforms and missions. They will also facilitate the communication and integration of military drones with other aircraft, including commercial ones, and air traffic control. 

“Today’s modern and next-gen warfighters must be capable of operating in any airspace environment. Our partnership with the FAA to certify the Reliable Autonomy System is the reason we have a seat at the table to help DOD build the blueprint for advanced aircraft autonomy,” stated Robert Rose, CEO and Co-Founder of Reliable Robotics in a press release announcing the agreement. 

Since its launch in 2017, Reliable Robotics has successfully tested its systems on several Cessna aircraft and has also taken part in the AFWERX program, which enables collaboration between aerospace startups and the US military. 

In 2023, in a conversation with AeroTime, Rose, who before founding Reliable Robotics held senior engineering roles at SpaceX and Tesla, explained that the company was planning to pursue a number of defense applications in the years to come. Among such projects is the implementation of autonomous flight systems in larger platforms, such as the KC-135 Stratocruiser tanker. The post Reliable Robotics teams up with USAF to develop autonomous flight architecture  appeared first on AeroTime.

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