Volair Technologies Awarded $1.2M USAF SBIR Phase II Contract to Develop AI-Vision Landing Solution for CCA and Contested Logistics Operations
- Nov 25, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: May 26
Advancing Autonomous Navigation and Landing in GPS-Denied and Austere Environments to Enable Scalable Air Operations
Bozeman, Montana – Volair Technologies Inc. announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract in the amount of $1.2 million, focused on AI-enabled perception and navigation technology supporting autonomy functions for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program and contested logistics missions to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.
The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded, and on July 18, 2025, Volair Technologies Inc. started its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with the U.S. Air Force to advance AI-enabled flight technologies that make autonomous operations safer, more resilient, and scalable,” said Eric Muir, CEO of Volair Technologies Inc. “This Phase II effort builds on our FlightStack platform to deliver reliable navigation and landing capabilities in GPS-denied and austere environments; critical for future CCA operations and contested logistics missions.”
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of War, or the U.S. government.
Volair Technologies Inc. (VTI) is an aerospace technology company pioneering artificial intelligence for the cock-pit. Based in Bozeman, Montana, VTI develops advanced perception, decision-support, and autonomy-enabling systems that make flight safer, simpler, and more scalable. Its flagship platforms, FlightStack and FlightShepherd, provide AI-driven vision, navigation, and copilot assistance solutions supporting both defense and commercial aviation customers. For more information, visit: vtiaero.com.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit: afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFWERX employs military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $1.4 billion annual budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.
