Reliable Robotics gets contract to advance detect and avoid technology

One of the leading developers of autonomous aircraft systems, Reliable Robotics, announced on Friday that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a contract to execute data collection flights of its Detect and Avoid (DAA) system in and around airport environments. 

Reliable Robotics is developing an industry-leading DAA system, including an advanced Air-to-Air Radar (ATAR). Reliable was selected for this contract based on the Technical Readiness Level of its system.

This contract will demonstrate Reliable’s comprehensive DAA solution for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) in controlled and uncontrolled airspace in compliance with FAA-accepted standards. In 2017, the FAA published Technical Standard Orders (TSO) detailing how DAA systems, including ATAR, can be certified. The Reliable DAA system on board a UAS is designed to maintain a safe distance from other aircraft by performing both Remain Well Clear (RWC) and Collision Avoidance (CA) against cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft. During test flights, as part of the contract, Reliable will evaluate the system’s ability to provide alerts and manoeuvring guidance for remote pilots during in-air conflicts. The data collected will be shared with RTCA Special Committee 228 (SC-228) and Special Committee 147 (SC-147) to inform the validation of the next set of standards for advanced DAA systems.

“Compliance to consensus-based technical standards is critical to reducing certification risk and ensuring interoperability,” said Juerg Frefel, Co-founder and CTO at Reliable Robotics.

Reliable will collaborate with one of the FAA’s UAS Test Sites, the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP). MAAP has a track record of success with test planning efforts and the provision of data to the FAA to inform UAS integration. Flight tests will begin in 2025.

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U.S. Air Force awards Reliable Robotics a multi-year contract for dual-use advanced aircraft automation

Reliable Robotics, announced the award of an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract leveraging the company’s dual-use technology to provide advanced automation to United States Air Force (USAF) airlift and refueling aircraft. The flexible IDIQ contract will span multiple years, and advance the development, production and deployment of Reliable’s autonomous flight system. The contract is also a vehicle for AFWERX and Reliable Robotics to explore partnerships with other branches of the military and combatant commands to scale and transition Reliable’s advanced automation technologies for specific use cases.

In its quest to develop innovative logistics capabilities, with a focus on the Indo-Pacific, the USAF is seeking commercial technologies like Reliable’s autonomous flight system to enable longer duration operations in contested environments while increasing safety and reducing demands for aircrews and lowering procurement costs.

“Aircraft autonomy is a mission critical capability for the Department of the Air Force. This IDIQ contract is driven by demand from Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces and commands that want to employ advanced aircraft automation in their fleets as soon as possible,” said Lt Col Josh Fehd, AFWERX Autonomy Prime Branch Chief.

U.S. Air Force awards Reliable Robotics funding to demonstrate integration of dual-use aircraft autonomy systems

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced the award of competitive funding under the AFWERX Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program for the United States Department of the Air Force (USAF). This TACFI funding is an extension of prior Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) efforts and has opportunities to expand further in the future. The funding will be used to perform additional flights for representative military missions in a UAS (Uncrewed Aircraft System) configuration.

The TACFI funding also includes matching investment from Eclipse Ventures. “Eclipse believes in the dual-market application of aircraft autonomy and we are excited to provide the commercial matching funds to support this TACFI award for Reliable Robotics to further demonstrate autonomous capabilities for the Department of Defense,” said Greg Reichow, Eclipse Partner. “Reliable is leading the industry with the maturity of its autonomous flight technology, and has made unparalleled progress on certification with the Federal Aviation Administration.”

This TACFI award will further both the commercial development of Reliable’s autonomous flight system and operationally relevant UAS military cargo missions, meeting both Department of Defense (DoD) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness standards. The UAS will be equipped with FAA-certifiable conforming hardware and software, including redundant systems and a ground control station for remote piloting.

Reliable Robotics performs automated cargo deliveries for U.S. Air Force

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, recently completed a series of automated missions across airfields in California and Nevada for the Department of the Air Force. In conjunction with Air Combat Command, Reliable demonstrated aircraft automation capabilities as part of the Agile Flag 24-3 exercise transporting cargo between military bases and airports, some hundreds of miles apart, on demand over the course of a week. The exercise was designed to be representative of the Indo-Pacific region, demanding agility, readiness and multi-domain operations.

“The Air Force has a unique opportunity to redefine efficiency through autonomous operations, which can enable persistent manoeuvre in contested environments and simultaneous cargo delivery instead of our current sequential system. Autonomy in small platforms reduces risk and opens up the ability to land in more places including damaged runways or unimproved surfaces,” said Colonel Max Bremer, Mobility COE Senior Advisor, Chief of Special Programs Division, Air Mobility Command. “Military exercises like Agile Flag provide a venue for us to more closely evaluate how technologies like autonomous systems operate in real missions.”

Automated flights of a Cessna 208B Caravan included autotaxi, autotakeoff, en-route navigation and autolanding. All flights were managed by Reliable’s remote pilot while an onboard pilot monitored. Reliable deployed a mobile control station onsite at Mojave Air and Space Port, which served as a base of operations for the military exercise. The rapid deployment of Reliable’s mobile control station enabled onsite demonstrations of the remote piloting side of the operation for Air Force and NASA personnel.

Reliable Robotics Selected for U.S. Air Force Funding Program

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, has confirmed it was approved to participate in the 2024 AFWERX Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program for the United States Department of the Air Force (USAF). TACFI is designed to “bridge the capability gap” between current Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) efforts to facilitate the delivery of strategic capabilities for the Department of the Air Force. Reliable was competitively chosen for award from a large list of providers during the funding evaluation.

Reliable Robotics selected as a Collier Trophy finalist

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, announced that it was shortlisted as one of four contenders for the 2023 Robert J. Collier Trophy. The prestigious industry award has been presented annually by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) for over a century to the most innovative programs, companies and individuals that demonstrate “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency and safety of air or space vehicles” during the prior year.

Reliable Robotics gets military airworthiness approval for a commercial autonomous flight system

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, announced that it has received military airworthiness approval to begin flight testing and operational missions of its remotely piloted Cessna 208 Caravan for the U.S. Air Force. This approval signifies a deeper level of engagement with the Department of Defense (DoD) by enabling Reliable to demonstrate dual-use automated flight capabilities for military use cases, including cargo missions.

“Nothing compares to showcasing how our autonomous flight capabilities will immediately enable new ways for the U.S. Air Force and other departments of the military to lead with innovation, improve safety and project power across the globe,” said Dr. David O’Brien, Major General (Ret.), and Senior Vice President of Government Solutions at Reliable Robotics.

DoD airworthiness policies require all aircraft and air systems owned, leased, operated, used, designed, or modified for Air Force applications complete an airworthiness assessment in accordance with Air Force standards. In order to meet these requirements, Reliable completed a comprehensive safety analysis, maintenance and operational evaluations and testing of the automated flight technologies. This airworthiness achievement was a key milestone of Reliable’s Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract.

“Our AFWERX partners are developing exciting automation technologies through robust engineering and flight test campaigns,” said Hank “Hog” Griffiths, AFWERX Airworthiness and Test Lead. “The technology is maturing rapidly and this airworthiness approval for a certified aircraft retrofitted with an autonomous flight system provides significant opportunities for the military.”

Reliable’s collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and AFWERX began in 2021 and includes SBIR awards, as well as a large aircraft automation study. In 2023, Reliable demonstrated automated flight for distinguished military personnel as part of the Golden Phoenix exercise at Travis Air Force base.

Reliable Robotics flies large cargo aircraft with no one on board

FAA-approved uncrewed flight test, supervised by a remote pilot, is an important step forward for the aviation industry.

Reliable Robotics, a leader in aircraft automation systems, today announced a significant milestone in its work to bring advanced safety-enhancing technologies to market in the United States. Last month’s successful flight of a Cessna 208B Caravan with no one on board was a first for aviation. A remote pilot supervised the uncrewed aircraft from Reliable’s control centre 50 miles away.

The Reliable autonomous flight system enables the aircraft to be remotely operated by a pilot on the ground and improves safety by fully automating the aircraft through all phases of operation including taxi, takeoff and landing. Reliable’s system is aircraft agnostic and utilizes multiple layers of redundancy and advanced navigation technology to achieve the levels of integrity and reliability necessary for uncrewed flight. The system will prevent controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and loss of control in flight (LOC-I), which account for the majority of fatal aviation accidents.

The Cessna Caravan is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc. Reliable Robotics has been collaborating with Textron Aviation, which includes the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands, and Textron eAviation focused on sustainable flying. Textron Aviation has delivered more than 3,000 Caravans, proving it to be the world’s most popular turboprop utility aircraft.

“Textron Aviation is committed to delivering continuous aviation improvements and our relationship with Reliable Robotics advances this work,” said Chris Hearne, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Programs, Textron Aviation. “Reliable’s successful flight of an uncrewed Cessna 208 Caravan represents a milestone for the industry in bringing new technology to aviation.”

Reliable Robotics Demonstrates the Integration of Automated Aircraft into the National Airspace System with the Federal Aviation Administration

Reliable Robotics, a leader in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems, completed a series of simulations and flight tests demonstrating successful integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems into congested airspace as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Urban Air Mobility Airspace Management Demonstration (UAMD). Funded by the FAA through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), the demonstration included a week-long series of flights in Northern California.

“The flight tests conducted by Reliable Robotics highlighted the ability for new aircraft systems to interact with third-party service providers and seamlessly integrate into future airspace environments, and provided critical data for future operations,” said Diana Liang, Enterprise Portfolio Manager at the FAA.

The test construct demonstrated Reliable’s ability to execute vectoring, airspeed diverts, and fly under various simulated weather conditions in simulated Class B airspace. Reliable shared aircraft telemetry through the company’s control center to OneSky, a third-party service provider, who in turn transmitted the data to the FAA’s NextGen Integration & Evaluation Capability (NIEC) research lab. FAA air traffic controllers participated in the test and provided the FAA NextGen program office with critical validation and insights for its UAM Conops 2.0.

Reliable Robotics making autonomous flight even closer with industry leading certification milestone

Reliable Robotics, a leader in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems, announced this week its certification plan was formally accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Reliable autonomous flight system enables continuous autopilot engagement through all phases of aircraft operation including taxi, takeoff and landing. This landmark achievement marks unrivalled progress towards the certification of fully automated aircraft.

“Reliable is the only company that has reached this critical point, positioning them as the clear front-runner in the FAA certification process for autonomous aircraft,” said Eric Schulz, former Rolls-Royce and Airbus executive. “Reliable’s automation system will make aviation even safer and provide more affordable air transportation for cargo and passengers anytime, anywhere.”

Notably, the certification plan leverages existing regulations for normal and transport category aircraft, and does not require any special conditions or exemptions. “This agreement concludes many years of effort with the FAA to rigorously determine how autonomous systems will be integrated into aircraft,” said Juerg Frefel, Co-founder and CTO of Reliable Robotics. “Working within current rules enables us–and the FAA–to move faster and continue to improve the high levels of safety we have come to expect in aviation.”

Reliable’s autonomous aircraft system, recently demonstrated as part of U.S. Air Force and NASA flight test campaigns, includes key technologies that will prevent common causes of aviation accidents and improve operational efficiency. High-integrity navigation systems make it possible to safely fly in lower visibility weather conditions without costly ground infrastructure. An “always on” autopilot also enables any aircraft to be remotely piloted with continuous engagement from the departure gate to the arrival gate.

”We are incredibly grateful to our FAA partners for their engagement and thorough review of this system, and are excited about the safety benefits this technology will bring to aviation,” said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO at Reliable Robotics. “Autonomy can and will be certified in the very near future, and this milestone is evidence that the United States and the FAA are going to be leading the way.”

Reliable Robotics and NASA complete first-of-its-kind flight tests to advance aviation safety

One of the leaders in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems - Reliable Robotics, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), have this week announced the completion of flight tests to substantiate the use of existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) primary surveillance radar (PSR) data to improve the safety of the National Airspace System (NAS). Reliable Robotics has been working with NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign since 2021 to advance the safe, secure and efficient integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems. Of note – the FAA granted NASA limited access to PSR data for these specific flights conducted by Reliable Robotics – a step towards utilizing existing radar infrastructure for Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems.

As part of the campaign, Reliable Robotics coordinated encounters of two of its aircraft in California while data was being collected by FAA ground-based radars as well as a commercial air-to-air radar. These flights will help NASA analyze and characterize the accuracy of surveillance radars, which will be used to develop a comprehensive safety case for DAA systems that utilize existing PSR data.

“We appreciate the close collaboration with the FAA and Reliable Robotics to collect meaningful data from flights to improve our collective understanding of using radar for DAA,” said Brad Snelling, Partner Chief Engineer for the AAM National Campaign at NASA. “These landmark flights will help the entire AAM industry further their understanding and future use of PSR data to enhance aviation safety.”

Making high quality PSR data available to pilots in the cockpit, along with certified alerting and guidance features, will significantly improve situational awareness and prevent mid-air collisions. Automatic Dependent-Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) technology will continue to play an important role in the safe integration of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) in the NAS, but it requires that all aircraft install and operate equipment. Secure access to the FAA’s medium and long-range PSR network will expand these safety benefits and provide accurate position data on aircraft, even for those without ADS-B.

“We believe PSR data can save lives today,” said Robert Rose, Co-Founder and CEO of Reliable Robotics. “We are honoured to partner with NASA on a campaign focused on making the airspace safer for everyone.”

Reliable Airlines appoints Tom Klassen as President

Reliable Airlines, a cargo airline based in Albuquerque has announced the addition of Tom Klassen as President and Director of Operations to support the growth of operations and future integration of safety-enhancing systems developed by its parent company, Reliable Robotics. 

The airline team has established a safety management system and operational procedures and has a proven record of safety, 100% flight completion and 99.9% dispatch reliability, earning the airline more routes in New Mexico.

Formerly known as AirDialog, Reliable Airlines aligns the cargo operation brand more closely with Reliable Robotics. The team at Reliable Airlines will have the unparalleled opportunity to lead the industry with the integration of automation that will improve aviation safety. Reliable Robotics is designing an automation system that will enable auto-taxi, auto-takeoff, and auto-landing and has sophisticated fault detection to identify and respond to unanticipated anomalies faster.

Reliable Robotics and Inmarsat collaborate on commercial satellite communications solution for remote piloted aircraft.....

A Memorandum of understanding signifies a major step towards safely integrating remotely piloted cargo aircraft to meet the growing demand for air freight.

Inmarsat has announced a collaboration with Reliable Robotics, a leader in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems, to support the safe, secure and efficient integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems into the US National Airspace System and airspace worldwide.

Inmarsat’s Velaris satellite communications service provides connectivity between remote pilots and aircraft for airspace access, including voice and digital communication links with air traffic control. By using existing certified airframes and commercial satellite networks, this new operating model can be brought to market quickly, without costly infrastructure, to expand the operational range for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS). 

Automation and remotely piloted aircraft could be key to supporting the future growth of freight volumes and alleviating the pressure on stretched supply chains, particularly for time-sensitive deliveries. Reliable Robotics is driving the industry forward with the automation of cargo aircraft to increase safety, improve efficiency and open up more routes to regional airports. However, automated aircraft technologies must be highly reliable and achieve required global certifications and regulatory safety approvals to gain access to airspace.  

Reliable Robotics opens new research, development and manufacturing centre in Silicon Valley

Reliable Robotics, a leader in safety-enhancing aviation technologies, celebrated the opening of a new engineering and development centre at its headquarters with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, top local elected officials, and representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week. The expansion was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks from Congresswoman Eshoo, and California State Senator Josh Becker highlighting innovation in the region.

California Congresswoman Anna Eshoo participates in the unveiling

“Reliable Robotics is on a mission to make aviation safer with technologies like auto-landing and auto-takeoff systems. It’s exciting to get a glimpse of the transformational aviation safety technology being developed in the 16th district,” said Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. “In my two decades in Congress, I have promoted policies that foster innovation in Silicon Valley, and I am thrilled that Reliable Robotics is leveraging our talented workforce.”

Reliable Robotics is designing advanced autopilot systems with high-precision navigation that will enhance aviation safety by enabling all-weather auto-taxi, auto-takeoff and auto-landing, without new ground infrastructure. For the small towns and rural communities served by our nation’s more than 5,000 general aviation airports, only a fraction of which have airline service, these technologies will improve access and enable the delivery of time-critical shipments like medical supplies.

The team is manufacturing and testing high-performance actuators, flight computers and other components in-house. This technology is the backbone of a continuous engagement autopilot that will prevent loss of control in flight, controlled flight into terrain, fuel mismanagement and other causes of fatal aviation accidents.

U.S. Air Force awards large aircraft automation study to Reliable Robotics

Reliable Robotics announced this week, a United States Air Force contract to explore the automation of large, multi-engine jets. This study will include a feasibility assessment of full and limited aircraft automation features for cargo operations. Remotely piloted aircraft will enable the Air Force to increase mission tempo worldwide and leverage a certifiable commercial solution for defence industry needs at fractional costs and extend aircraft capabilities.

“Headquarters Air Force Mobility Functional Integration Team supports the efforts of Reliable Robotics and the development of their aircraft automation systems. Reliable provides capabilities that will help close logistical gaps so that the United States Air Force can execute their role within the Joint Warfighting Concept,” said Col. Sean R. McClune, of the United States Air Force. “We are interested in Reliable Robotics not only for their effectiveness in supporting the warfighter in Contested Logistics but also for their novel approach of outfitting legacy aircraft with cutting-edge automation kits. This is of great value to the U.S. Government because it will help solve the demand for short to medium-range point-to-point logistics without the need to manufacture new aircraft, which will ensure critical logistics are available at speed and scale to all regions of the country.”

Reliable Robotics gets phase III U.S. Air Force contract to optimize aircraft autonomy and conduct flight test campaigns

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to further demonstrate the performance and safety of remotely piloted aircraft in more operating environments. Reliable has now won sequential Phase I, Phase II and Phase III SBIR contracts from the government to advance autonomous capabilities for existing aircraft. With this most recent award, Reliable will build on its set of autonomy solutions to optimize aircraft control under a broad range of contingencies, and then test them in a series of flight test campaigns.

“We value our strong partnership with the Air Force and AFWERX to advance multiple autonomy solutions across the Department of Defense for various aircraft platforms,” said Kevin Sagis, Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer at Reliable Robotics. “We look forward to collaborating again and building on the progress our team made during the successful Phase II SBIR contract. This effort dovetails very well with our commercial autonomy development, accelerating our remote piloting solution for the benefit of both commercial and government customers.”

Reliable Robotics and Astral Aviation to collaborate to improve safety and connectivity across Sub-Saharan Africa with automated aircraft

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems and Kenya-based airline Astral Aviation, today announced a strategic collaboration with the goal of enhancing aviation safety and increasing air cargo connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa through the use of automated aircraft. 

Africa is poised for economic and trade growth but held back by challenges related to the safety, speed and cost of transportation, including limited intra-African air services. The companies will work together to develop operational, regulatory and business plans to launch automated aircraft operations in sub-Saharan Africa.

Reliable Robotics is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify its automation system on the Cessna 208 Caravan, and to begin commercial cargo operations in the United States. The collaboration with Astral Aviation will enable the subsequent international expansion into Africa where the Caravan is an essential utility aircraft with nearly 350 currently operating across the continent.

“We are preparing for explosive growth in regional trade and the need to transport significantly more air cargo across Africa,” said Sanjeev Gadhia, Founder and CEO at Astral Aviation. “Automation will enable us to serve more routes. We look forward to working with Reliable to safely transport larger payloads over longer distances at lower cost with remotely operated aircraft.”

Sub-Saharan Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is growing at four percent1. The widespread adoption of mobile technologies has enabled e-commerce to leapfrog legacy banking, communications and retail infrastructure, and is expected to grow to half a billion users by 20252. Expanding the air cargo network is critical to GDP and e-commerce growth in a continent with landlocked countries, busy ports, poor road networks, sparse transportation infrastructure, and an average distance between major cities of 4,100 kilometres.

“The African aviation sector is primed for change and automated aircraft can be part of the solution to the market’s constraints,” said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO at Reliable Robotics. “Astral has deep experience operating in Africa, and we share a vision for how automation and remotely piloted aircraft can help the region reach its economic potential with safer, more flexible and cost-efficient air transport.”

Reliable has established leadership in designing, building and demonstrating its remotely piloted system and made aviation history with milestone flights in 2019 and 2021 in Northern California. Astral Aviation is the fastest growing All-Cargo Airline in Africa, and recently announced that it will be the launch operator of the Embraer E190 Freighter aircraft. Together, Reliable Robotics and Astral Aviation are working on a roadmap to expand automated air cargo solutions that will provide significant economic and societal benefit for Africa.

1 International Monetary Fund: Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, April 2022
2 International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce: The Rise of eCommerce in Africa

Reliable Robotics achieves major certification milestone with G-1 issue paper acceptance

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems,  announced this week that the certification basis of its advanced navigation and autoflight system has been accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The final G-1 issue paper defines the certification basis for the company’s Supplemental Type Certification (STC) on the Cessna 208 Caravan, a popular cargo aircraft. This STC will enhance safety by enabling continuous autopilot engagement through all phases of aircraft operation, including taxi, takeoff, cruise, landing, braking and rollout, with a single pilot on board for abnormal procedures.

“We are very appreciative of the FAA’s noteworthy attention to detail and ongoing support,” said Mark Mondt, Director of Certification at Reliable Robotics. “This certification basis is the culmination of years of work with the FAA and represents a key step towards bringing advanced navigation and autoflight systems to normal category aircraft. We look forward to continuing our work together as we move into the next phase of the certification process.”

The FAA uses issue papers to provide a structured means of describing and tracking the resolution of significant technical and regulatory issues that occur during a certification project. The signed G-1 issue paper represents formal agreement between Reliable Robotics and the FAA on the applicable airworthiness and environmental requirements for the company’s advanced automation system.

Today, Controlled Flight Into Terrain and Loss of Control are the #1 and #2 causes of fatal accidents in small aircraft. Advanced automation systems will reduce the occurrence of these accidents and bring an unprecedented level of safety to commercial aviation through precision navigation, sophisticated flight planning and robust flight controls.

Kevin Sagis appointed as senior vice president and chief engineer at Reliable Robotics

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, announced today the addition of Kevin Sagis as Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer. Sagis joins in a senior strategic and technical leadership role as the company accelerates its development program to certify its Remotely Operated Aircraft System. Sagis has over 30 years of design, development, manufacturing, test and operational experience for the commercial sector, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Defense (DoD). He has successfully taken multiple programs to flight, including specially modified aircraft and space launch vehicles.

 “Kevin is one of the most innovative technical leaders with an impressive record bringing complex mission-critical engineering programs from idea to reality across the space, aviation and defence sectors,” said Juerg Frefel, Co-founder and CTO at Reliable Robotics. “He also has deep experience building and fostering high performing teams which will support our continued growth.”

In his role at Reliable Robotics, Sagis will drive the engineering vision and execution for the company’s Remotely Operated Aircraft System. At Virgin Orbit, he served as Chief Engineer and Senior Vice President of Engineering, working with Sir Richard Branson to reimagine how a 747-400 carrier aircraft could be used to launch orbital rockets. As one of the original visionaries, he was instrumental in forming the team and the technology that built the foundation for taking the company public. He was responsible for architecting the integrated system from initial concept to multiple successful orbital flights, leading a team of several hundred engineers. He has deep expertise in aircraft systems and directed the structural, electrical and subsystems modification of the 747-400.

Prior to Virgin Orbit, Sagis was at Lockheed Martin as technical lead on multiple rocket and aircraft-related programs. He was the Chief Engineer for the homeland defence program that launched rockets from the cargo hold of a C-17, achieving 100 percent mission success within three years. Earlier Sagis founded and served as Chief Engineer at Paragon Labs where he led the design, deployment and manufacturing of a vertical takeoff, vertical landing vehicle using a liquid oxygen/ethanol regeneratively cooled propulsion system. Prior to that, he supported multiple commercial vehicles for Lockheed Martin, NASA advanced concept studies and flight design software for the Space Shuttle program.

“Aviation is ready for a revolution and remotely operated aircraft will be key to this new era in the industry,” said Sagis. “I’m excited to join former colleagues and an incredible team that has already made aviation history on the path to commercialization of remotely piloted systems.”

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Reliable Robotics Awarded U.S. Air Force Contract to Advance Aircraft Autonomy

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, confirmed this week it was awarded an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) contract to design, develop and test autonomous aircraft capabilities on Air Force platforms. As part of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract, Reliable Robotics will demonstrate how its aircraft agnostic design can be quickly adapted for new airframes through simulated and real-world flight tests. The autonomy upgrade will be capable of installation on a wide variety of aircraft.

“Our remotely piloted aircraft system unlocks opportunities for all defense agencies and drives mission success in cargo delivery, logistics, surveillance, and other applications where higher tempos and lower costs are vital,” said Dr. David O’Brien, Major General (Ret.), and Senior Vice President of Government Solutions at Reliable Robotics.

The company has a track record of industry-firsts on the path to Federal Aviation Administration certification of its Remotely Operated Aircraft System. Reliable Robotics made commercial aviation history in 2019 by remotely piloting a Cessna 172 Skyhawk over a populated region without any onboard crew, and in 2021 by remotely operating the Cessna 208 Caravan, a popular cargo aircraft, from a control center over 50 miles away. The same year, the company was named a Collier Trophy finalist for great achievements in aeronautics in the United States.

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