The Flying Ship Company (FSC), a pioneer in autonomous wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) cargo logistics, has been selected as a winner in the U.S. Army xTechSearch 9 Competition in the Contested Logistics and Sustainment technical domain. Flying Ship was granted an initial award of $25,000 with up to $250,000 available in follow up Phase I SBIR funding to further mature prototype demonstrations.

“We are honored to be selected a winner in the U.S. Army’s xTechSearch 9 Competition, in which the Army recognizes FSC’s solutions as a potential game-changer for resupply, sustainment, and movement of materiel in adversarial environments,” said Flying Ship Company Founder and CEO Bill Peterson. “This award, along with our Phase I SBIR award from AFWERX last year and continued interest from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, demonstrates significant customer interest in our innovations across the military service branches.”

The xTechSearch program seeks breakthrough commercial technologies that can provide critical advantages to the U.S. Army. In the 2025 contest, finalists were selected from a highly competitive field and underwent rigorous evaluations by Army and DoD subject-matter experts. Less than 5% of applicants were selected as winners and admitted to the next phase of the accelerator program, which includes workshops and tailored support, and is designed to help position emerging companies for long-term success and integration into the Army and DoD ecosystem.

In today’s era where anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) efforts have become more relevant, traditional supply lines such as ocean shipping, ports and airlift are increasingly vulnerable to interdiction. This is especially acute in maritime domains, where adversaries may leverage submarines, missiles, or mines to disrupt seaborne logistics. FSC’s autonomous WIG platforms travel low over the water, under radar and above sonar, and deliver large payloads on water or to flat shorelines, bypassing chokepoints and constrained harbor infrastructure.

“Winning the xTechSearch 9 competition provides third-party validation of our technological direction and increases credibility with potential defense customers,” Peterson said. “But it also affirms the commercial promise of FSC’s platforms and positions the company for accelerated growth and investment as we move towards production of initial versions.”

“The commercial maritime and offshore logistics sectors are actively adopting autonomous technologies,” Peterson continued. “Our patented autonomous WIG platforms are on track to capture share from conventional shipping, helicopter lift, and sea barges, positioning us for outsized returns as the first- mover provider of autonomous WIG logistics solutions.”

The Flying Ship Company is honored by this recognition from the U.S. Army and excited to move rapidly toward demonstration, adoption, and value generation for both national security and commercial markets. This selection represents a pivotal inflection point—not just for our company, but for the future of maritime logistics.