A Boston aerospace and defense technology company developing autonomous-flight systems for military and cargo aircraft has quietly relocated its entire Rhode Island flight-testing operation, moving four aircraft — including a Cold War-era jet — from Quonset State Airport to North Central State Airport in Smithfield. Merlin announced the shift on Tuesday, ending its presence at the North Kingstown airfield and setting up shop instead in the small general-aviation facility that straddles Smithfield and Lincoln.
According to The Valley Breeze, Merlin now houses four aircraft in its North Central hangar: two Cessna Caravans, a Beechcraft King Air, and an L-39 Albatros jet. The company describes itself as a Boston-based aerospace and defense technology firm, and it says the move gives it additional hangar space and greater operational flexibility for its growing fleet and testing needs. North Central is a reliever airport for T. F. Green International Airport, built in 1951 with a 5,000-foot main runway and a shorter 3,211-foot secondary strip, according to the Rhode Island Airport Corporation.
That is a notably different environment than Quonset, where Merlin had previously based operations. Quonset's 7,500-foot runway and its role as home to the Rhode Island Air National Guard's 143d Airlift Wing, which flies military C-130J aircraft, made it a busier, more militarized facility. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation oversees all six of the state's publicly owned airports, a system created in 1992 that generates roughly $37 million in direct regional economic impact from its general aviation facilities alone.
Why Merlin Wanted to Be Closer to Boston
Merlin founder and CEO Matt George said flight testing sits at the center of the company's work, and that its infrastructure needs to keep pace with its technology and expanding aircraft fleet, per the same Valley Breeze report. George said North Central offers the space and operational flexibility Merlin needs while also putting flight testing closer to the company's Boston headquarters and its growing team.
Merlin builds Merlin Pilot, an autonomous flight system the company intends to eventually handle every phase of flight from takeoff to landing. Per company confirmation cited by the Valley Breeze, that technology is now being tested out of North Central. Every test flight still carries a human safety pilot on board; FAA rules under 14 CFR 91.109(c) require a safety pilot for simulated-instrument flight using a view-limiting device, according to DuBois Aviation.
The Beechcraft King Air completed its first flight using Merlin Pilot earlier this month, the Valley Breeze reported. The L-39 Albatros, meanwhile, is Merlin's first company-owned jet, and the aircraft will let the company test its technology on a higher-performance airframe as it works toward military applications.
A Pivot Toward Bigger Planes and a Pentagon Contract
The Smithfield move lands amid a broader strategic shift at Merlin toward large, transport-category aircraft. In September, the company announced it was refocusing its civil flight certification strategy on bigger planes, withdrawing a small-aircraft Supplemental Type Certificate application in New Zealand while keeping that country as its Pacific flight-test center, according to GlobeNewswire.
Merlin develops autonomous flight technology for the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and works with U.S. Special Operations Command on that program, the Valley Breeze reported. The military partnership carries real financial weight: Merlin secured a five-year contract worth up to $105 million from Special Operations Command in June 2024 to build reduced-aircrew autonomous systems for the C-130J, and the project passed its Critical Design Review in June, according to Aviation International News.
On the commercial side, Merlin introduced a product family called Condor in May, designed to integrate Merlin Pilot into Part 25 commercial cargo aircraft, targeting a global freighter fleet that Boeing projects will reach nearly 3,900 aircraft by 2043, as reported by FLYING Magazine. Regulators have also kept pace with the technology: the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, coordinating with the FAA under a bilateral agreement, approved Stage of Involvement 3 software testing verification in August for two core components of Merlin Pilot — its flight control computer and AI communication system.
Pilot Shortage Looms Over the Push for Autonomy
Pilot Shortage Looms Over the Push for Autonomy The urgency behind Merlin's work traces back to a labor crunch facing the aviation industry. Oliver Wyman's industry analysis estimates North America will face a shortage of nearly 30,000 commercial pilots by 2032.
Merlin was founded by George, and the Boston-based company has raised venture capital, according to Forbes.
Back in Rhode Island, the Valley Breeze reported that Merlin's regional operations are expected to support additional jobs and provide access to engineering and aerospace talent in the area. For Smithfield and Lincoln, the arrival of a company testing self-flying military and cargo aircraft marks a notable shift for a small airport better known for reliever traffic than cutting-edge defense technology.
