Joby Aviation announced on November 4 that the US Air Force had provided additional funding for its autonomous flight technology through AFWERX, taking the service's cumulative commitment to nearly $37 million. The funding will support further development of autonomous software and additional operational testing in the Pacific region, including military exercises.
The ceiling on Joby's autonomous logistics and cargo test contract has been raised to $50 million. A Pentagon contract announcement on September 28 confirmed a $45 million increase in that ceiling but committed no new funding at the time, and contract work is expected to run through March 1, 2029. Joby's autonomous technology, acquired with Xwing's autonomy division in June 2024, has now completed more than 400 fully autonomous flights, and the company is also preparing a dedicated defence business after agreeing in August to acquire Resonant Sciences for about $500 million, a deal expected to close in early 2027.