Unmanned vs. Automated vs. Autonomous: Where Merlin Pilot Fits After the Project NEXUS Flight

A Defense Robotics CEO Argues That the Industry Mixes Up Three Different Words – Here’s How They Line Up With What Merlin Pilot Has Already Done

Ben Wolff, CEO of Palladyne AI, argued on September 16 that the defense industry confuses three words.[1] “Unmanned” means nobody is aboard the platform. “Automated,” - i.e., an automated machine, means something follows a script written before launch. “Autonomous,” based on the ASTM definition he cites, means a system that can work out a new course of action when no plan covers the situation. His argument is that if a machine operating autonomously cannot alter its behavior based on real-time changes, it is not autonomous. For example, a drone flown by a soldier with a joystick is unmanned and entirely manual, and waypoint flight counts as automation.

We think those definitions are useful. Merlin Pilot is designed to fly aircraft that have people aboard, so unmanned doesn’t categorize what we do. The test that matters is whether the system can change the plan in flight, which is the kind of functionality we have been putting in front of regulators and customers as part of our product development, and which could meet Ben’s definition of “autonomous”. That work is already very much in motion. For example, at the Project NEXUS kickoff in Texas on September 10, Merlin Pilot took off, handled air traffic control communications, replanned around a theoretical threat in the air and landed.[2] Oshkosh saw a Cessna Caravan flying Merlin Pilot make the first autonomous landing, with a safety pilot aboard, of a conventional fixed wing aircraft in the airshow’s history in July.[3] Certification work in New Zealand reached Stage of Involvement 3 in August for the Flight Control Computer and the Automated Communication System, with the issue paper on the AI-based natural language processing inside it concluded.

Our lane is targeting aircraft that already exist, with autonomous capabilities that must meet regulator requirements, which is why we call it aviation-grade autonomy from takeoff to touchdown. The precision Wolff asks for, about which decisions a machine may make and under whose oversight, is what a certification program forces a company to write down, as well as prove. We believe that discipline should become an advantage as buyers learn to tell the words apart.

Forward-Looking Statements

This post contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding: Merlin’s expectations regarding the capabilities, performance, and applications of the Merlin Pilot autonomy platform and the anticipated benefits and future development of Merlin’s autonomous flight technology generally. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, assumptions, and projections about future events and trends. These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including without limitation the risks and uncertainties detailed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” of our final prospectus, dated May 13, 2026, filed with the SEC on May 13, 2026, and our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are available from the SEC. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.