Joby completes US defence exercise with autonomous technology

Joby Aviation has announced a first-of-its-kind demonstration of its autonomous flight technology. As part of Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC), a Department-level exercise led by Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), the company successfully demonstrated and validated its Superpilot™ autonomous flight system over the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii, completing more than 7,000 miles of autonomous operations across over 40 flight hours.

The autonomous flights were overseen from ground control stations at multiple locations during the exercise, most notably from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, more than 3,000 miles away. A safety pilot was also onboard to monitor system performance. As part of Joby’s long-term strategy to develop dual-use technologies, Superpilot demonstrated its potential to meet the US government’s urgent requirement for light intra-theatre airlift.

The Department of Defense has requested US$9.4 billion in its FY26 budget to advance autonomous and hybrid aircraft. Joby’s successful participation in the REFORPAC exercise positions the company to compete for forthcoming defence programmes. The collaboration with defence partners may also support the integration of autonomous capabilities into Joby’s commercial air taxi platform.

“The exercise demonstrated Superpilot’s ability to operate in complex, real-world scenarios with the precision and reliability demanded by the U.S. government,” commented Greg Bowles, Chief Policy Officer at Joby. “This is a testament to our decade-long collaboration with the Department of Defense and a significant step toward deploying our dual-use technologies in the field.” 

“AFWERX has partnered with Joby’s team for several years with increasingly complex development and demonstration efforts of autonomy to support contested logistics missions,” stated Lt. Col. Jonathan Gilbert, AFWERX Prime division chief. “REFORPAC was an opportunity to demonstrate the technology in a realistic environment and highlight the potential impact of these autonomous systems. The lessons learned from this exercise participation are vital to guiding our focus as we continue development of affordable technologies that support the needs of our Airmen.”