Artificial Intelligence

Japan backs aircraft electrification; flying warehouse for delivery drones; certifying autonomous flight; silicon batteries for eVTOL.

About three years before its first scheduled fielding, the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft fleet has a new group of F-16-based testbed aircraft.

The U.S. Air Force will soon begin modifying an F-16 to evaluate autonomy software and artificial intelligence.

DASI sees the aviation parts market evolving to include spot markets.

Planet Labs has expanded its partnership with satellite image analytics firm SynMax to sell AI-powered vessel monitoring and classification software.

Off-the-shelf algorithms open up new possibilities for inexpensive UAVs.

Darwin will develop digital assistants to enable extended minimum-crew operations in cruise.

The vice president of services and support also discusses new workforce and technology programs with Inside MRO.

Palantir Technologies recorded 20% annual sales growth in the fourth quarter that beat Wall Street’s expectations.

Faced with an expected influx of testing with current infrastructure and staff maxed out, Edwards AFB aims to reinvent itself.

Shield AI said on Dec. 29 that it raised an additional $300 million, adding to a previously announced $200 million through debt issuance, as part of the autopilot startup’s Series F round.

It is time for the world to invest more spending in space situational awareness, according to the former president of the Portuguese Space Agency.

From bookings to the cockpit, aviation companies are exploring the realm of artificial intelligence.

U.S. startup AIBOT has been gaining attention for its plan to integrate AI into its planned family of eVTOL vehicles.

Southwest Airlines is expanding trials of an AI solution aimed at improving turnaround performance, from 18 gates in Atlanta to an additional 14 in Denver.

EasyJet is using artificial intelligence (AI) to predict demand and right-size its fleet planning, which is already beginning to deliver financial benefits.

AI leaders cooperate; Cargo eVTOL flies; UK extends R&D funding; and China’s firefighting eVTOL.

Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. have released additional details for Pillar II of their AUKUS agreement.

The FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency are trying to figure out how best to certify the safety of nondeterministic programs.

Divergent Technologies, an advanced manufacturing startup, has closed a $230 million Series D fundraising round.

Kuva Space of Finland has raised €16.6 million ($17.6 million) in funding to start building and launching a hyperspectral cubesat constellation.

Shield AI, the startup behind the Hivemind pilot program that features AI software, said on Oct. 31 it raised $200 million in Series F funding.

Sidus Space continues to shuffle its management with the departure of its chief technology officer, Jamie Adams, who was also a director on its board.

A 10-year-old Poway, California-based company says it has applied for an export license for a synthetic pilot that can command a simulated weapon system.

Shield Capital—which was founded in 2021 and invests in areas such as AI, space, autonomy and cyber security—says it has raised $186 million for the fund.