Vertical Aerospace announced Thursday that it has entered into a partnership with Near Earth Autonomy, bringing autonomous flight technology to its Valo aircraft as the British electric aviation company pushes into uncrewed defense and commercial operations.
According to both companies, Near Earth’s autonomous flight systems will be woven into the Honeywell Aerospace Anthem avionics platform, which was already scheduled to be part of the Valo aircraft’s design.
The move reflects a growing trend among aerospace startups, which are increasingly relying on specialized outside suppliers for avionics and autonomous systems in order to reduce development costs and accelerate the path to certification.
Vertical is building the Valo in two configurations — a fully electric tiltrotor version and a hybrid-electric variant.
Near Earth Autonomy, which was established in 2012, has previously developed autonomous flight systems for programs tied to the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, and Honeywell.
Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft developers have been looking beyond the urban air taxi market, where slow certification timelines, missing infrastructure, and tight funding have hampered growth. Defense contracts have emerged as an attractive alternative.
“Defense is an increasingly important strategic market for Vertical, and this partnership moves us from ambition to capability,” said Vertical CEO Stuart Simpson.
Other companies in the same space, including Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, have similarly placed greater emphasis on defense or dual-purpose programs.
