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The Airframer Bulletin

Near Earth Autonomy
All news ✕ Clear ‹ Current edition

Every Bulletin story and press release covering Near Earth Autonomy, newest first.

15 items

2026
13 August

ReleaseVertical Aerospace provides H1 2026 business update

12 August Vertical is retrofitting its third prototype aircraft for hybrid-electric flight testing due in the first half of 2027.

Vertical lines up $100m for Valo development

The funding follows a run of flight test and airshow milestones, including piloted eVTOL transitions demonstrated publicly at Farnborough.

16 July

ReleaseVertical Aerospace and Near Earth Autonomy partner to equip Valo aircraft for uncrewed defence and commercial operations

30 April

ReleaseBell selected by Near Earth Autonomy to provide Bell 505 airframe for U.S. Marine Corps’ MARV-EL program

28 April

ReleaseNear Earth Autonomy awarded program to prototype autonomous logistics aircraft for U.S. Marine Corps

2025
20 November

ReleaseBETA Technologies builds out autonomous capabilities

17 June

ReleaseHoneywell and Near Earth Autonomy complete first autonomous flight of Leonardo AW139 helicopter

2024
28 October

ReleaseHoneywell partners with Near Earth Autonomy and Leonardo to enable autonomous flight

2023
4 October

ReleaseU.S. Army awards Near Earth Autonomy and Kaman Air Vehicles contract to demonstrate heavy lift VTOL capability

2022
22 June

ReleaseKaman announces $10 million investment in Near Earth Autonomy to accelerate the deployment of autonomous systems

24 March Eve's eVTOL will benefit from the new technical partnerships.

Technical partners join Embraer's autonomous research

The US-based Near Earth Autonomy, Iris Automation, and Ansys, as well as Switzerland's Daedalean and Brazilian's Motora.ai, are working with Embraer to accelerate the creation of innovative technologies.

2021
23 September

Kaman adds expeditionary logistics UAV to its line-up

Over the past six months, flight development testing of a scaled KARGO UAV demonstrator has been completed, and flight-testing of a full-scale autonomous vehicle is planned for 2022.

3 June The Volocopter heavy-lift utility VoloDrone.

Volocopter brings autonomy experts onboard for VoloDrone

Near Earth Autonomy has conducted 3,500 flights lasting over 2,000 flight hours of their autonomy system across various aircraft types, sizes, and environments in the last eight years.

2020
25 August K-MAX equipped with Near Earth’s autonomy package. (Photo: Near Earth)

Kaman partners up to develop autonomous K-MAX

The K-MAX is a highly capable helicopter, and may soon no longer need a pilot. Kaman is working with Near Earth Autonomy to have the aircraft make its own real-time flight decisions.

2017
19 October

ReleaseBoeing HorizonX Invests in unmanned systems technology leader Near Earth Autonomy