Reliable Robotics will provide the U.S. Air Force with an automated Cessna 208B Grand Caravan equipped with its Reliable Autonomy System (RAS) under a $17.4 million contract, the company announced Tuesday. The agreement includes integration, testing and operational missions of the single-engine turboprop, which Reliable first flew without a pilot on board in 2023. According to the company, its FAA-certifiable technology enables continuous operations at a fraction of the cost of legacy systems while maintaining type-certified safety standards.

The Air Force plans to use the Caravan for overseas deployments, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, where austere environments and limited pilot availability can constrain operations, Reliable told FLYING.

“Autonomy has been in use by the mili

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