Photo By Matthew C Clouse | Joby Aviation's Cessna 208B Grand Caravan lands autonomously at Joint Base Pearl...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFRL) — AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, partnered with Joby Aviation to demonstrate autonomous aircraft capabilities with a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan during Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC), July 24-30, 2025. REFORPAC was part of the Department-Level Exercise (DLE) series, a month-long set of exercises across the Indo-Pacific that enhanced readiness and interoperability with allies and partners while providing critical lessons learned for future operations.
Based out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during the DLE, the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan flew daily autonomous sorties to the islands of Hawaii, Lanai, Maui and Oahu while being remotely operated from a ground station more than 3,800 miles away in Guam. A safety pilot was aboard each flight to monitor the system and intervene if necessary, though no manual inputs were required. The demonstration showcased the aircraft’s ability to execute real-time command, monitoring and mission operations over long distances, supporting Pacific Air Forces’ efforts to identify cost-effective alternatives to traditional cargo aircraft.
“Operating across the vast distances of the Indo-Pacific demands innovation,” said Lt. Gen. Laura Lenderman, Pacific Air Forces deputy commander. “Demonstrations like this help us explore how autonomous systems can enhance our ability to operate in dispersed environments, reduce reliance on fixed infrastructure, and strengthen our ability to respond quickly and effectively across the theater.”
To explore those possibilities, AFWERX awarded Small Business Innovation Research Phase II and III contracts to support flight trials of Joby’s autonomous technology on a modified commercial Cessna 208B Grand Caravan. The aircraft can autonomously taxi, take off, fly to a destination and land, while also receiving updated flight plans mid-mission and landing at unfamiliar airfields using onboard sensors and external imagery.
“AFWERX’s collaboration with industry shows our commitment to moving technology from the lab to the warfighter and building readiness to win in contested environments,” said Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei, Air Force Research Laboratory commander and Department of the Air Force technology executive officer. “Contested logistics comes down to pushing forward, protecting assets and staying agile. By working together with industry, we’re not just building better technologies, but a stronger defense ecosystem. That’s how we win together — and how we win the future.”
This scalable, cost-effective platform reduces the need for crewed cargo aircraft and enables light logistics delivery to dispersed or austere locations. AFWERX’s investment in autonomous logistics directly supports the Department of the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment concept by enabling distributed operations and reducing reliance on fixed infrastructure.
Aircraft such as the Grand Caravan, along with other short takeoff and landing platforms in development, offer greater runway independence, payload flexibility and operational range — critical advantages in contested or degraded environments.
“There’s not a whole lot of land in the Pacific theater,” said Maj. Thomas Davis, Pacific Air Forces Futures deputy chief. “We’ve got to make use of the land that is out here, and that means a lot of small payloads of equipment, a lot of short-duration flights going to various parts and places — which is why this capability is so useful out here in particular.”
AFWERX, Joby and PACAF launched simulated cargo missions around the Hawaiian Islands while maintaining control from Guam. This geographically separated demonstration highlighted the platform’s remote operations and long-range autonomy — key enablers for logistics in the Indo-Pacific.
“Manpower is one of the challenges we face in PACAF,” said Dr. Michael Durstock, Pacific Air Forces chief science and technology adviser. “Any opportunity to reduce the logistics burden on our Airmen allows them to focus on other critical tasks that support the mission and improve overall efficiency.”
On July 28, AFWERX and Joby hosted a distinguished visitor event on the flight line at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to give U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and PACAF senior leaders an opportunity to view the autonomous aircraft firsthand, ask questions and learn more about its capabilities. Attendees included Lenderman; Dr. Bob Stephenson, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command director of requirements and resources (J8); Brig. Gen. Shane Vesely, PACAF chief of staff; Brig. Gen. Mike Zuhlsdorf, PACAF director of logistics, engineering and force protection; and Durstock.
AFWERX program manager 2nd Lt. Sarah Hubert briefed leadership on the organization’s mission to accelerate emerging technologies that enhance agility and support operational needs. The autonomous Cessna 208B Grand Caravan highlights AFWERX’s role in advancing capabilities aligned with PACAF’s experimentation priorities and the Department of the Air Force’s vision for resilient, distributed logistics.
“Our mission is to reduce barriers so promising commercial capabilities can reach the warfighter faster,” Hubert said.
This is not the first time AFWERX and its partners have participated in Air Force exercises. In 2024, AFWERX invited Joby and Reliable Robotics to participate in AGILE FLAG 24-1 and 24-3, introducing Airmen to autonomous Cessna 208B aircraft capabilities. During 24-3, the two companies flew 47 missions, covered more than 6,600 miles and delivered cargo to multiple forward locations across California, proving the operational viability of autonomous systems in dynamic environments.
“It’s important to get the capability into the hands of the operators who are going to use it, not just as an experiment but as a matter of force day to day,” Durstock added.
This AFWERX demonstration is part of the first-in-a-generation Department-Level Exercise series, a new way of conducting operations in a contested, dynamic environment to build capabilities that make for a stronger, more lethal deterrent force. The DLE series includes all branches of the Department of Defense, along with allies and partners, and involves more than 400 joint and coalition aircraft and more than 12,000 personnel at more than 50 locations across 3,000 miles.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the Department of the Air Force’s primary scientific research and development center and one of six centers within Air Force Materiel Command. 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.
| Date Taken: | 09.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.03.2025 10:00 |
| Story ID: | 547115 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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