Defense Tech Summit Takes: Merlin Labs Building the Automated Pilot

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Defense Tech Summit Takes: Merlin Labs Building the Automated Pilot

USA | Aerospace & Defense Electronics EquityJuneResearch11, 2026

Defense Tech Summit Takes: Merlin Labs

Building the Automated Pilot

We hosted Matt George, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Merlin Labs,

at our Jefferies Virtual Defense Technologies Summit. Key takes: 1) Merlin is

building an automated pilot for large military aircraft; 2) The C-130J program

and KC-135 work anchor near-term execution; 3) Revenue model includes

adaptation, installation, and per-tail annual licenses; 4) Certification and safety

remain core differentiators for adoption at scale.

Merlin Overview: Building The Automated Pilot For Large Aircraft. Merlin is developing software

that replicates core pilot functions and brings autonomy into operational military aircraft, focused

on F-16-sized aircraft and larger. The company is working with the U.S. Air Force and USSOCOM to

introduce autonomy into operational Air Force aircraft, with the largest announced platform being

the C-130J Super Hercules, described as roughly the size of a 737. Merlin is positioned around large

aircraft autonomy rather than small drones, with a mission tied to pilot shortages, operating costs,

mission risk, and the need to project airpower more effectively.

C-130J Program Anchors Near-Term Execution. Merlin was awarded a substantial contract by

USSOCOM and the U.S. Air Force to bring autonomy to the C-130J, the most common type of

military aircraft globally. Merlin is the prime on the contract, with Lockheed Martin and Sierra Nevada

Corporation serving as subcontractors to support hardware integration and aircraft installation.

KC-135 is also an active program tied to refueling work. The system has flown across 5 aircraft