Merlin has completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for its C-130J autonomy programme with the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the company announced on 4 June.
This follows the completion of the preliminary design review for the same C-130J autonomy programme in March this year.
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The CDR represents a stage in the development process that verifies design readiness and allows the programme to proceed from the design phase to integration with the aircraft.
With this milestone, Merlin’s project is set to begin a formal test campaign, which will include full aircraft-level testing.
According to the company, this sequence follows a systems engineering approach meant to confirm the reliability of the design through progressive verification steps.
The CDR is part of a previously awarded Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $105m, which Merlin secured in 2024.
The contract covers several phases, ranging from the initial design for integration onto the C-130J, through ground and flight testing, to demonstrations of autonomous flight from take-off to landing.
It also includes the development of advanced autonomy functions and potential integrations onto other special operations aircraft.
Under this contract, Merlin is working to install and mature its AI-powered autonomy stack on board the C-130J platform.
The company states that one aim of the development is to reduce crew workload during all stages of flight.
There is also potential scope for applying the technology to other Department of War and commercial aviation platforms, it stated.
Merlin CEO and founder Matt George said: “Completing the Critical Design Review validates the architecture we’ve built for safe, scalable autonomy on large aircraft like the C-130J.
“We are grateful for USSOCOM’s partnership and guidance in this effort as CDR is another important step in demonstrating that our system meets the rigorous standards required for our USG customers’ real-world deployment.”
