Joby Completes Landmark U.S. Defense Exercise with Autonomous Flight Technology
- Logged 7,000+ miles of autonomous operations, more than 40 flight hours
- Demonstrated dual-use potential of Joby's technology, advancing both defense readiness and commercial market leadership
- Generated mission-critical data to inform next-generation U.S. defense
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) today announced a first-of-its-kind demonstration of its autonomous flight technology. As part of the Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC), a Department-Level Exercise led by Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), Joby conducted a successful demonstration and validation of its SuperpilotTM autonomous flight technology over the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii, logging more than 7,000 miles of autonomous operations across more than 40 flight hours.
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Joby's autonomous flight technology Superpilot flying a Cessna 208 during REFORPAC 2025.
The autonomous flights were managed from ground control stations at various locations throughout the exercise, primarily from more than 3,000 miles away at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. A safety pilot was also onboard the aircraft to monitor the system's performance. As part of Joby's long-term strategy to develop dual-use technologies, Superpilot showcased its ability to provide an autonomous solution for the U.S. government's urgent need for light intra-theater airlift.
The Department of Defense has requested $9.4 billion in its FY26 budget to advance autonomous and hybrid aircraft. The successful REFORPAC exercise positions Joby to compete for upcoming Department of Defense programs. In addition, the work with defense partners can inform integration of autonomous capabilities into Joby's commercial air taxi platform.
"The exercise demonstrated Superpilot's ability to operate in complex, real-world scenarios with the precision and reliability demanded by the U.S. government," said Greg Bowles, Chief Policy Officer at Joby. "This is a testament to our decade-long collaboration with the Department of Defense and a significant step toward deploying our dual-use technologies in the field."
"AFWERX has partnered with Joby's team for several years with increasingly complex development and demonstration efforts of autonomy to support contested logistics missions," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Gilbert, AFWERX Prime division chief. "REFORPAC was an opportunity to demonstrate the technology in a realistic environment and highlight the potential impact of these autonomous systems. The lessons learned from this exercise participation are vital to guiding our focus as we continue development of affordable technologies that support the needs of our Airmen."
The U.S. Air Force currently faces a challenge in efficiently supporting low-volume, high-urgency and high-risk deliveries in large operational theaters. The REFORPAC exercise validated that a light cargo aircraft, equipped with Superpilot, can meet this demand, while freeing up larger, more costly aircraft for other missions.
Joby's Superpilot, integrated into a Cessna Caravan 208 platform, was tasked with a variety of missions. Highlights include:
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Mission Readiness: Superpilot demonstrated the capability to execute rapid cargo deliveries, hub-and-spoke logistics, inter-island transport, dynamic retasking, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) profiles.
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Operational Versatility: Flights were successfully conducted in all classes of airspace (B, C, D and uncontrolled) and under both visual and instrument flight rules.
- Airlift Capabilities: Superpilot piloted a total of 7,342 miles over 43.7 hours. Within the exercise, the aircraft completed six sorties, flying for 14 hours covering 2,416 miles. The campaign also included a roundtrip ferry flight of 4,925 miles, with Superpilot successfully handling a Pacific Ocean crossing, landing and taxi at destination airports.
In June 2024, Joby acquired the autonomy division of Xwing, Inc., including Superpilot, with the goal of accelerating development of autonomous flight technology in defense and commercial applications.
About Joby
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi. Joby intends to both operate its fast, quiet, and convenient air taxi service in cities around the world and sell its aircraft to other operators and partners. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the development and performance of our aircraft, the growth of our manufacturing capabilities, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing; our planned operations with the Department of Defense; our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity; plans for, and potential benefits of, our strategic partnerships; and our current expectations relating to our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, capital needs and growth of our operations, including the expected benefits of our vertically-integrated business model. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "project", "plan", "intend", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "can have", "likely" and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. All forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including: our ability to launch our air taxi service and the growth of the urban air mobility market generally; our ability to produce aircraft that meet our performance expectations in the volumes and on the timelines that we project; the ability to secure additional contracts with the Department of Defense or other U.S. governmental agencies cannot be guaranteed; the competitive environment in which we operate; our future capital needs; our ability to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our ability to effectively respond to evolving regulations and standards relating to our aircraft; our reliance on third-party suppliers and service partners; uncertainties related to our estimates of the size of the market for our service and future revenue opportunities; and other important factors discussed in the section titled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 27, 2025, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 8, 2025 and August 7, 2025, and in future filings and other reports we file with or furnish to the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates and beliefs as of the date of this release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
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