SAN CARLOS, Calif. - Beacon AI has flown its Murdock artificial intelligence (AI) pilot-assistance system aboard three operational U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft, completing five flights and approximately 20 hours of flight time during August and September.
The flights took place under an Air Force Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract with Air Mobility Command (AMC), administered through AFWERX, the Department of the Air Force's innovation organization. The flight activity began during the Emerald Flag exercise at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and continued at two additional airfields, including a civilian airport.
Murdock is an onboard computing and crew-interface system that provides advisory information without modifying certified flight-critical systems. It reads data from aircraft avionics buses and connects to Beacon's Lighthouse cloud-based platform via satellite communications for flight-data analysis and fleet management.
The system is intended to help crews manage routine cockpit tasks, follow procedures, plan routes, and monitor operational factors, including crew readiness. Its advisory approach leaves flight decisions and authority with the crew, according to Beacon.
The company describes the flights as a step toward introducing AI-enabled assistance on operational aircraft rather than limiting development to dedicated test platforms. Testing across multiple aircraft and airfields provides opportunities to evaluate the system under different operating procedures and airspace conditions.
The work follows an earlier Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 effort with U.S. Special Operations Command. Beacon says it plans to expand Murdock's assistance across more phases of the flight lifecycle, from scheduling and flight operations to post-flight debriefing, using operational experience and crew feedback to guide further development.
The demonstrations come amid broader U.S. defense interest in software-based pilot-assistance technologies that could improve situational awareness and reduce crew workload without replacing existing avionics or flight controls. The House Armed Services Committee addressed these technologies in its report accompanying the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act and called for a briefing on the Department of Defense's evaluation and adoption plans by Feb. 1, 2027.
