Joby Aviation said November 4, 2026, that the U.S. Air Force has awarded additional funding for its autonomous flight program, bringing the service’s total commitment to nearly $37 million. The new work is being awarded through AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm, and covers software integration and expanded operational testing in the Pacific.
The announcement also raises the ceiling on Joby’s operational-testing contract to $50 million. The company said the funding is intended to accelerate development of its autonomy software as the Air Force works toward sustained autonomous logistics operations. The announcement does not establish that those operations have begun; it describes them as a direction for the service’s continuing program.
A cross-country autonomy demonstration
The contract expansion follows Joby’s 2026 Electric Skies campaign, during which the company conducted a nationwide series of flights using a Cessna Caravan equipped with its autonomy technology. Joby said the aircraft traveled from Concord, California, to North Carolina’s Outer Banks in what it described as the first autonomous flight across the United States.
According to Joby, the multi-leg tour covered 6,665 miles, included landings in 11 states and involved integrated flight operations across 24 states. The company said its system handled taxiing, takeoffs, route navigation and landings, while the onboard safety pilot made zero control inputs. The flights were conducted under remote supervision from distances of up to 2,537 miles.
- Air Force commitment to Joby’s autonomous flight work: nearly $37 million
- Operational-testing contract ceiling: $50 million
- J208 autonomous tour: 6,665 miles, with landings in 11 states
- Flight operations integrated across 24 states
Defense and dual-use development
Joby’s announcement places the Air Force work within a broader dual-use effort involving autonomous logistics and cargo aircraft. The company said the same development area is intended to support defense, emergency-response and commercial operations, although the new funding described in the announcement is tied to the Air Force’s autonomy and testing activities.
The program is based on a partnership between Joby and AFWERX. The additional award is therefore a continuation of an existing defense relationship rather than a new commercial air-taxi launch or a certification announcement for Joby’s passenger aircraft. The activities described involve autonomy software, integration and operational testing.
Testing in the Pacific
Joby said the expanded operational testing will take place in the Pacific. The company characterized the additional funding as support for continued development and testing as the Air Force evaluates how autonomous aircraft could be used for logistics missions over sustained operations.
The cross-country demonstration provides the latest reported evidence of the autonomy system operating over a long, multi-state route, while the Air Force award supplies additional funding for the next phase of integration and testing. The announcement gives the program a larger contract ceiling, but it does not state that the full $50 million amount has been awarded or that a specific number of aircraft will be purchased.
