The U.S. Air Force has authorized San Francisco-based Xwing to transport time-sensitive cargo across California on autonomous aircraft.
The authorization follows a two-week demonstration totaling over 2,800 flight miles to civilian and military airports, including March Air Reserve Base, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Sacramento McClellan Airport, Meadows Field Airport, and Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
The missions involved a self-flying single-engine Cessna 208B Grand Caravan that can carry 3,000 pounds of cargo.
This aircraft delivered sensitive weather equipment and other critical cargo to different airports from Jan. 22 to Feb. 4, demonstrating faster delivery and requiring fewer flights by traditional heavy-lift transports.
“The use of Xwing’s autonomous aircraft eliminated the need to fly a larger aircraft such as a C-130 to deliver critical cargo to the warfighter on short notice,” said Maxime Gariel, president, chief technical officer and co-founder of Xwing.
Autonomous aircraft are key to the Air Force’s agile combat employment concept, which would disperse aircraft and equipment across island airfields in the Pacific Ocean amid a major war in the region.
Xwing’s technology allows ground controllers to operate uncrewed aircraft in any airspace, including busy Southern California during the test.