Merlin has achieved the Stage of Involvement 3 certification milestone with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand for two components of its Merlin Pilot autonomy platform. The milestone covers the Flight Control Computer and Automated Communication System and advances the certification process for Merlin autonomous flight technology.
The certification work has been conducted with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration under a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement.
Merlin Autonomous Flight Technology Reaches SOI 3
According to Merlin, achieving Stage of Involvement 3, or SOI 3, confirms that its software has been tested and verified against its requirements.
The milestone follows the company’s completion of earlier certification stages, including SOI 1 and SOI 2.
The two Merlin Pilot components covered by the latest milestone are:
- Flight Control Computer (FCC)
- Automated Communication System (ACS)
Merlin said the achievement represents continued progress through the certification process established by aviation regulators.
AI and Machine Learning Certification Approach Advances
Merlin has also concluded an issue paper addressing the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning-based natural language processing within the certification program.
According to the company, completion of the issue paper means Merlin and the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand have agreed on the certification approach and the evidence required to demonstrate that the Merlin Pilot’s AI and machine learning capabilities are safe and perform as intended.
“This milestone underscores Merlin’s approach of building trusted autonomy in partnership with regulators. This is significant as we’re not building experimental AI, but rather aviation-grade autonomy that performs full phase autonomy from takeoff to touchdown,” said Tim Burns, Chief Technology Officer at Merlin.
“Achieving SOI 3 establishes a foundation for certification of our flight autonomy and AI capabilities and reflects the disciplined engineering processes we have built through this program. As we continue onto the final stages of the certification process, our focus remains on delivering autonomy that enhances operational safety, improves efficiency, and enables new levels of capability across the aviation ecosystem.”
Merlin Pilot Targets Full-Phase Autonomous Flight
Merlin is developing its autonomous flight technology with the goal of providing full-stack autonomy for military and civilian aircraft from takeoff through touchdown.
According to the company, the Merlin Pilot system has been demonstrated through hundreds of autonomous flights conducted from test facilities around the world.
Merlin also has more than $100 million in total IDIQ contract ceiling value under its C-130J autonomy program with USSOCOM.
The SOI 3 milestone advances the certification process for Merlin autonomous flight technology as the company continues work on its Flight Control Computer, Automated Communication System and AI-based capabilities.
Source: Press release from Merlin
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