Skyryse Partnered With BAE Systems to Autonomize Aircraft
The collaboration will integrate the SkyOS flight-control architecture into BAE Systems' existing flight management hardware.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Robotics
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Skyryse has signed a memorandum of understanding with BAE Systems Australia to embed its SkyOS flight-control software into the company's existing Vehicle Management System. The joint project aims to facilitate autonomous operations for both crewed and uncrewed aircraft platforms.
Why it matters
This partnership seeks to expand the operational flexibility of aircraft by combining BAE Systems' established flight management hardware with SkyOS, a platform capable of handling autonomous flight-control logic. It signifies a move toward standardized autonomous architectures for high-end defense and commercial aviation assets.
The integration project builds on the previous deployment of SkyOS into a Sikorsky Black Hawk, which was completed in 91 days. SkyOS provides the core flight-control logic, automation, and autonomous architecture necessary to operate aircraft across crewed and remotely piloted modes.
The players
Skyryse
A California-based developer of SkyOS, an operating system designed for flight controls and autonomous aircraft operations.
BAE Systems Australia
A division of the global defense contractor that produces vehicle management systems for complex aircraft like the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat.
Mark Groden
The founder of Skyryse who is leading the company's efforts to standardize autonomous flight architectures.
The details
SkyOS functions as an aircraft operating system that consolidates flight-control logic into a unified architecture. BAE Systems' Vehicle Management System—the hardware responsible for processing flight dynamics and control commands—will host this software. This integration is designed to support platforms like the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, allowing them to shift between autonomous, remotely piloted, and crewed flight configurations.
Timeline
December 2025: Skyryse successfully integrated SkyOS into a Sikorsky Black Hawk.
September 25, 2026: Mark Groden publicly detailed the partnership agreement.
The Tech Race
By targeting integration with the BAE Systems Vehicle Management System used in the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, Skyryse is positioning SkyOS as a cross-platform standard. This effort competes against proprietary, platform-specific flight-control software that historically limits autonomous deployment to individual aircraft models.
This development enables defense and aviation operators to potentially upgrade existing aircraft fleets with autonomous capabilities rather than requiring complete hardware overhauls. Real-world application depends on the success of these joint projects, with no specific commercial availability dates yet confirmed.
The takeaway
The move suggests a shift toward modular software stacks that could decouple flight-control intelligence from proprietary aerospace hardware. Watch for future flight-test announcements as the primary metric for whether this software can maintain stability across the BAE Systems-equipped fleet.
Further reading
For more on the development of autonomous flight systems, see our latest coverage in Robotics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Janes.
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