US Air Force awards Natilus $3.5 million for KONA cargo aircraft

The US Air Force has awarded US-based aerospace manufacturer Natilus $3.5 million in research, development, test and evaluation funding to advance its KONA regional freighter towards full-scale flight testing and an operational demonstration for military logistics.

The funding was provided through Operational Energy – Innovation (OE-I) and the Department of the Air Force, under the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment. It will support the development of KONA, a 3.8-tonne, optionally piloted aircraft designed for regional cargo distribution and logistics operations in contested environments.

KONA is designed to bridge the capability gap between light utility aircraft, such as the Cessna C-208, and larger tactical airlifters, including the C-130. With a payload capacity of 3.8 tonnes and a range of 800 nautical miles, the aircraft is intended to support regional cargo movements, including operations from short runways and locations with limited infrastructure.

Blended-wing design targets lower fuel consumption
Natilus said KONA’s blended-wing-body configuration is designed to consume approximately 30% less fuel than comparable conventional aircraft. The reduced fuel requirement could help improve operational flexibility in regions where fuel supply and distribution are challenging.

The aircraft is particularly relevant to Indo-Pacific operations, where long distances, dispersed operating locations and constrained fuel logistics create challenges for military transportation and resupply. Its design is intended to support intra-theatre airlift and the distribution of cargo across smaller or remote operating locations.

KONA is also being developed for compatibility with existing cargo infrastructure, allowing it to operate within regional distribution networks without requiring an entirely new ground-handling ecosystem.

Commercial development and military applications
Natilus is advancing KONA towards Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 23 certification and full-scale flight testing. The company’s commercial programme is supported by private and strategic investment, alongside customer commitments, while the new government funding will help progress its military demonstration programme.

The aircraft’s modular design and optional-piloted capability could also support additional mission configurations over time, including communications relay, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and payload delivery. However, the initial focus remains on demonstrating its regional airlift and contested logistics capabilities.

Jim Hartle, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, Safety and Occupational Health, said the funding would help evaluate how a commercially developed aircraft could support distributed logistics while reducing operational energy demand.

Natilus CEO Aleksey Matyushev said the investment would enable the company to demonstrate KONA’s payload, range, fuel efficiency and operational flexibility for military applications while continuing to address demand for more efficient regional cargo aircraft.

Natilus expands blended-wing-body aircraft programme
Founded in 2016, Natilus is developing a family of blended-wing-body aircraft for cargo and passenger transportation. The company says its aircraft designs aim to reduce fuel consumption by 30% and operating costs by 50%, while increasing payload capacity by 40% compared with conventional aircraft.

Natilus reports more than 570 aircraft pre-orders, valued at approximately $24 billion, across its aircraft programme.

The latest US Air Force funding marks a step in evaluating the potential of blended-wing-body aircraft for military logistics, particularly for regional cargo distribution where fuel efficiency, payload capacity and access to dispersed operating locations are important considerations.