Honeywell is working with Merlin to integrate autonomous flight technology into the Anthem avionics suite to help improve safety and enable single pilot operations.
The two companies have signed an agreement that sets out terms to develop autonomous flight technology for both commercial and military aircraft. The autonomous features will seek to reduce pilot workloads, enhance operational efficiency, allow pilots to focus on mission-critical tasks and improve overall safety, said the companies.
Boston, US-based Merlin was founded in 2018 and has recently hit milestones in key projects, including the completion of a flight test program for its Cessna Caravan with its Merlin Pilot autonomous system. The company is also working with the US Air Force to integrate the same system into the KC-135 Stratotanker.
Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin said, “The safety and scalability of the aviation industry is highly dependent on the progressive advancement of autonomous capabilities.
“This partnership is an important step for Merlin and Honeywell to bring this technology to commercial and military aircraft, starting with single pilot operations. Together we will be able to advance pilot efficiency and create a safer aviation ecosystem.”
Anthem is Honeywell’s core avionics cockpit system. It features touch-screen displays and cloud connectivity.
Launched in 2021, Anthem’s modular architecture can be tailored for use in different aircraft. First customers include supersonic airliner developer Boom and eVTOL aircraft firms Lilium and Vertical Aerospace.
Honeywell and Merlin’s collaboration will initially target fixed-wing military aircraft with the opportunity to expand to other commercial and military aircraft platforms.
Bob Buddecke, president of electronic solutions at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies said, “This collaboration will benefit the military because this autonomy solution helps alleviate the pilot shortage by reducing the number of pilots required for certain aircraft operations.
“By enabling single-pilot operations and automating key tasks, this partnership provides a scalable and safe solution to ease pilot workload and optimize fleet operations for both the military and commercial aviation industry.”
