Vertical Aerospace said it will partner with Near Earth Autonomy to equip its Valo aircraft with autonomous flight capability, as the British electric aviation company expands into uncrewed defense and commercial operations. The companies said Near Earth's autonomous flight technology will be integrated with Honeywell Aerospace's Anthem avionics system, already slated for the Valo aircraft.

Naval Air Systems Command awarded Near Earth Autonomy the MARV-EL Increment 2 program on April 28, 2026, under an Other Transaction Agreement through the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium. MARV-EL stands for Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary Logistics, and the name tells most of the story: an autonomous helicopter-type aircraft designed to move supplies to Marines operating at the tactical edge, in places where sending a crewed helicopter means accepting risks that commanders increasingly cannot justify. Near Earth will lead the effort in collaboration with Bell Textron, Moog Inc., and XP Services.

Near Earth Autonomy and partners Honeywell, Moog and XP Services have completed a year of integration and flight work on the RUC-60, an optionally crewed UH-60L Black Hawk converted for contested logistics missions, and are now preparing for a full slate of mission flight testing through 2026.

Electric aircraft maker BETA TECHNOLOGIES is partnering with Near Earth Autonomy to develop uncrewed aircraft for the military, with flight testing slated to begin in the first half of 2026...BETA, which designs and manufactures electric aircraft and propulsion systems, said Near Earth adds expertise and experience with autonomous systems, which it has developed for the U.S. military and major aerospace manufacturers.

This was the first time the AW139 was autonomously controlled using Near Earth’s onboard autonomy stack.  “This flight showcases Near Earth Autonomy’s leadership in developing trusted autonomy for real-world operations,” said Dr. Sanjiv Singh, CEO of Near Earth Autonomy. “By directly controlling the AW139’s flight modes with our autonomy system, we’ve shown that scalable autonomous logistics using existing platforms is not just possible, it’s happening now.”

The US Army has engaged Near Earth Autonomy to spearhead a program valued at $15m with the objective of advancing and deploying an optionally piloted system for logistical operations in challenging environments. This initiative involves retrofitting UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters with advanced autonomy kits and is financed by the Army Program Executive Office, Aviation (PEO Aviation). The project is a joint effort between Near Earth and Honeywell, aimed at converting existing aircraft into autonomous logistics vehicles capable of high-frequency operations.

"Traditional resupply methods are challenged by rough terrain and unpredictable conditions, requiring careful route planning and skilled handling. The Firefly system overcomes these limitations, enabling mission planning without prior knowledge of the route or assurance that the landing site is level and clear."

In the late 2000s, while his Pittsburgh colleagues were chasing autonomy in cars, Sanjiv Singh was looking to the skies. His team was the first to build a helicopter that could fly on its own. And in the years since, his company — Near Earth Autonomy — has scaled the system down to automate drones for the U.S. military and a growing array of commercial partners.

“This is a meaningful milestone on our path towards fully capable autonomous traffic avoidance,” said Paul Bartlett, Near Earth head of systems engineering.  “The realistic flight tests with the prototype accreditable autonomy architecture would not have been possible without Eglin...The test was successful as the eight-foot Griff 135 identified the presence and location of the TRV-150 and performed avoidance maneuvers over two successive flights...“Testing these capabilities quickly and effectively is critical to moving the Air Force forward,” said Lt. Col. Robert Waller, 96th Operations Group deputy commander.

LIFT Aircraft and Near Earth Autonomy have been awarded a contract to design a medical multi-mission modular payload, a container that can carry blood supply and casualty evacuations (CASEVAC).  The partnership aims to address one of the Army’s biggest challenges – the need to autonomously perform these functions within the crucial “golden hour”, the critical period immediately following trauma when rapid medical intervention significantly increases survival rates.

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has designated Near Earth Autonomy as a prime contractor for one of the demonstration teams in the U.S. Marine Corps’ Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) program... As the prime contractor, Near Earth will demonstrate a fully integrated logistics system featuring onboard autonomy that guides the aircraft and modifies the flight trajectory to avoid hazards without requiring a remote operator. Additionally, Near Earth will demonstrate mission autonomy, enabling lightly trained personnel to request, dispatch, monitor, and retask supply deliveries in contested environments.

Kaman has partnered with Near Earth Autonomy for the autonomy system for the drone. The two companies previously collaborated on a helicopter that can operate with or without a pilot and which was tested by the Marines for delivering cargo in Afghanistan. In October 2022 it was announced that the company had been selected to build a prototype for what was then known as the Medium Unmanned Logistics Systems — Air (MULS-A) program, now MARV-EL.

“We want to prepare the warfighter for the digital future that’s upon us,” said Col. Tucker Hamilton, 96th Operations Group commander and Air Force AI test and operations chief. “This event is about bringing the Eglin enterprise together and moving with urgency to incorporate these concepts in how we test.”

The US Army needs smaller drones and heavier-crewed aircraft for its resupply missions. The problem is that this puts aircrews more at risk when they’re entering hostile regions...The heavy-lift vertical takeoff and landing uncrewed aerial system program partnership enables us to broaden our current scope from developing an aerial resupply aircraft for the Marine Corps to creating an autonomous multi-mission aircraft that can autonomously address a wide variety of critical needs.

The US Air Force’s AFWERX has chosen Near Earth Autonomy to collaborate on a reliability standard for autonomous aerial transport as part of the Autonomy Prime program.  This collaboration will see Near Earth and AFWERX establish an accreditation process to formalize assurance for autonomous aircraft.  Near Earth will also develop an architecture that enables high-reliability and supports Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA)-compliant interoperability, ensuring that autonomous aircraft can operate safely and efficiently.

The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) named Near Earth Autonomy as a Finalist in the Xcellence in Mission—Humanitarian category.  The AUVSI Xcellence Awards honor individuals and organizations that are innovators in the uncrewed systems industry. They must have demonstrated their commitment to advancing autonomy, led and promoted the safe adoption of uncrewed systems, and developed programs that use these technologies to save lives and improve the human condition, said the Arlington, VA based organization.

Near Earth Autonomy is a US-based company that provides hardware and software solutions for autonomous flight and landing. It has deepened its work in the defence market in recent years, perhaps most notably through a partnership with Kaman, with which it is delivering the Kargo uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) for the US Marine Corps (USMC).

“If something goes wrong on board the aircraft, you have to be able to do all of what’s necessary to deal with that kind of case,” in a few minutes or even just a few seconds, says Singh.  He co-founded Point Breeze-based Near Earth Autonomy in 2013 to “push the envelope” for autonomous aerial vehicles. At its core, Near Earth builds the technology for an aircraft to be “aware of its environment” without depending on a pilot. Singh says “this level of extrinsic awareness of the world outside the aircraft is what will give it the extra safety that we expect from aviation.”