Skyborg program partners with VTOL drone logistics company Volansi

The Air Force has partnered with Volansi, a logistics company providing vertical-takeoff-and-landing drones, to support the Skyborg autonomous aircraft program, the Defense Department announced Monday.

Volansi is one of 14 vendors to win an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with the Skyborg program, making it eligible to compete for task orders worth up to $400 million through 2026. The Air Force so far has awarded Boeing, General Atomics and Kratos between $14 million and $38 million to supply drone prototypes for flight experiments starting next year.

Skyborg aims to deliver a low-cost drone that uses artificial intelligence to conduct joint missions with manned aircraft. The program reflects the Air Force's broader efforts to accelerate human-machine teaming.