Merlin Is Going Public as the First Defense Prime for AI in Aviation

Merlin is going public to extend our lead in delivering the first defense-grade autonomy stack and scale it across all form factors in aviation, from small drones to civil aircraft to the world’s largest planes.

America needs more focused, operationally-grounded innovation, and we believe autonomy is a foundational capability for securing America’s strategic edge. History shows that peace and prosperity follow nations that not only invent, but scale. Today, the U.S. risks falling behind as its industrial base fractures between niche R&D that can’t scale, and legacy primes stretched thin across hundreds of programs. Meanwhile, China is moving fast, rapidly deploying autonomous systems faster than we are. Going public positions us to lead where it matters most: delivering scalable autonomy that meets the urgency of this moment.

We’ve been flying our AI-enabled autonomy system since 2019, and are now rolling it out in collaboration with the Department of Defense – with integrations already well underway with USSOCCOM on the C-130J and the U.S. Air Force on the KC-135 – to help preserve America’s global edge. These collaborations are critical not only because of the urgency to strengthen national defense, but also because military environments are the most demanding for autonomous systems. If autonomy earns trust there, it can earn it anywhere. Department of Defense airframes log over four million flight hours each year. Combat aircraft operate under extreme conditions, flying through heavy turbulence, degraded environments, and congested airspace. These platforms enable us to build and train our AI system that is resilient, reliable, and certifiable, laying the groundwork for civil applications as well. 

Proven Tech Stack

Merlin’s AI-enabled technology is already proving itself in the field. Our autonomy stack is actively flying and, to date, has flown on five aircraft platforms, validating our platform-agnostic strategy that enables our speed of execution. Our deep expertise across perception, planning, decision-making, control, and flight safety with a modular architecture, is what uniquely positions us to fill a critical national gap as America’s autonomy integrator – delivering the performance, interoperability, and trust others can’t.

That’s the future we’re working toward: real autonomy, in real aircraft, solving real problems. 

Our progressive approach to AI in aviation is what has enabled us to consistently win large contracts, including our work with the U.S. Air Force. This consists of us gradually introducing AI into the cockpit, first reducing crew workload, and eventually expanding to fully uncrewed applications. 

Building a highly assured core also enables us to gradually expand to more dissimilar aircraft. When we do this right, weʼll have a common “brainˮ that can work across air vehicles, with dramatically different capabilities. Importantly, we’ll be able to translate that to civilian aircraft, which is work that we’ve already started with our first of its kind civil certification program in a joint effort with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand. 

Why Go Public Now

We’re going public to become the first defense prime for AI in aviation. A move that meaningfully accelerates our leadership and allows us to expand our capabilities to deliver on our mission. We’re committed to transparency, accountability, and delivery – ensuring we build the right autonomy solutions with real product-market fit and strategic national value. 

This milestone greatly benefits our customers and partners. Greater access to capital markets supports our ability to scale as a trusted partner to the government, meaning more resources can be put towards advancing AI in aviation for the United States. It positions us to accelerate our revenue growth and aggressively pursue strategic acquisitions that strengthen our autonomy coalition. Lastly, it enables us to continue attracting the top and brightest minds in aviation. We intend to bring aboard those who are driven to solve national security challenges through safe, reliable AI with a company rooted in mission and long-term impact.

As we enter this next phase of Merlin, our focus remains on execution: delivering real capabilities to the operators and partners who need them most. We’re building for permanence, not hype, and we’re doing it with the team, technology, and vision built to lead AI in aviation into its operational future.