DefenseGE Aerospace and Merlin Join Forces to Upgrade KC-135 Cockpit Autonomy
GE Aerospace and Merlin have announced a collaboration to develop autonomous flight initiatives, with a specific focus on reducing cockpit crew and advancing autonomy for both civil and military aircraft.
The first step in this partnership involves the KC-135 Stratotanker, the oldest aerial refueling aircraft still in service with the US Air Force. The project, part of the Cockpit Component Refresh (CCR) program, will modernize the KC-135’s cockpit by addressing obsolescence issues and integrating new autonomous features.
The collaboration combines GE Aerospace’s experience in flight management systems—currently present in more than 14,000 aircraft worldwide—with Merlin’s autonomy software. This integration is expected to serve as a foundation for future unmanned flight capabilities.
“At GE Aerospace we’re constantly working to find innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of our customers. Working with Merlin, we’re able to combine our proven Flight Management System expertise and Modular Open System Architectures with Merlin’s autonomy software to unlock new capabilities that will redefine what’s possible for next-generation autonomous flight,” said Matt Burns, general manager, Avionics Systems with GE Aerospace
Although the KC-135 has been operational for decades and has outlasted models like the KC-10, its continued reliability has motivated investment in extending its service life through technology upgrades. The USAF is also evaluating options to expand its tanker fleet, considering further KC-46 orders or the development of a new purpose-built tanker.
The introduction of AI-enabled autonomy is positioned to influence both current and future aircraft across military and civil sectors, potentially reshaping operational models and fleet management.
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