Hanneke Weitering is a writer and editor with AIN covering advanced air mobility and new flight technologies. She became an aviation journalist and joined the AIN team in the summer of 2022 after reporting on spaceflight and astronomy for six years at Space.com. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in science, health, and environmental reporting at New York University&#039;s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is now based in Seattle near Boeing Field and spends her free time exploring nature in the Pacific Northwest.

Science & Technology Editor

Cessna 208 Caravan and 208B Grand Caravan

Hanneke Weitering

Joby Aviation successfully demonstrated its autonomous flight technology for the U.S. Department of Defense as part of the Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) exercise led by the Pacific Air Forces, the company announced September 3.&nbsp;
During the month-long exercise, which ran from July 10 to August 8, Joby logged 43.7 flight hours and 7,342 miles with a fully autonomous Cessna Caravan operating over the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii. The eVTOL aircraft manufacturer obtained the Caravan and its “Superpilot” autonomous flight control system through its June 2024 <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2024-06-04/joby-aviation-acquires-autonomous-flight-pioneer-xwing">acquisition of Xwing</a>.
With a safety pilot on board to monitor, the self-piloting Caravan’s flights were managed remotely from ground control stations at various locations, but primarily at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam—more than 3,000 miles away from the aircraft. The flights took place in all classes of airspace under both visual and instrument flight rules.&nbsp;
“The exercise demonstrated Superpilot’s ability to operate in complex, real-world scenarios with the precision and reliability demanded by the U.S. government,” said Greg Bowles, Joby's chief policy officer. “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.”&nbsp;
Joby claims the Superpilot could provide an autonomous solution to fill the U.S. government’s need for light intra-theater airlift capabilities to support low-volume, high-urgency, and high-risk deliveries. During the REFORPAC exercise, Joby showed that an autonomous light cargo airplane can meet that demand while freeing up larger aircraft for other missions, the company said. Capabilities that Joby demonstrated in the exercise included rapid cargo deliveries, hub-and-spoke logistics, and inter-island transport, as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) activities.
<h2>New Focus on Military Applications&nbsp;</h2>
Although Joby is primarily focused on certifying its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft for commercial air taxi operations, the company is also pursuing a different aircraft for defense applications. Last month, Joby announced a <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2025-08-02/joby-and-l3harris-plan-hybrid-vtol-aircraft-defense-missions">partnership with defense contractor L3Harris Technologies</a> to develop an autonomous, hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft. The company has also been working with the U.S. Air Force’s Afwerx innovation unit since 2016.&nbsp;
“Afwerx has partnered with Joby’s team for several years with increasingly complex development and demonstration efforts of autonomy to support contested logistics missions,” said 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.”
According to Joby, the work it has been conducting with its defense partners may also inform the integration of autonomous capabilities into its commercial aircraft. Although the Superpilot was initially developed for the Caravan, it is intended to be a platform-agnostic flight control system. However, Joby still intends to certify the commercial eVTOL aircraft for piloted operations. The company is working to complete <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2025-08-07/joby-begins-assembly-confirming-electric-aircraft">FAA type certification</a> in time to start operations in 2026, and it has said that services will likely launch in the UAE before the U.S.

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

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