Shearwater Aerospace has been selected as a subcontractor for DARPA’s Albatross program, which is exploring the use of weather-informed mission planning and real-time sensing of dynamic wind conditions to enable uncrewed aircraft to leverage atmospheric energy—similar to the soaring behavior of long-range birds. 

Under the program, Shearwater is providing its advanced automated mission-planning and micro-weather forecasting technology. These capabilities build on years of work in weather-aware mission-planning and real-time guidance at Shearwater, informed by foundational research from Dr. Jack Langelaan—a leading expert in autonomous soaring and a technical advisor to the company. 

Shearwater’s Smart Flight™ system—trusted across defense, logistics, and security applications—uses AI-powered micro-weather intelligence to continuously plan and adapt flight paths in real time, enabling aircraft to leverage atmospheric conditions for improved performance and resilience in challenging environments. 

“Our core belief is that UAVs can achieve dramatically higher performance through software alone—no new airframe, no added sensors,” said Chad Armstrong, CEO of Shearwater Aerospace. “Most systems treat weather as something to avoid. We treat it as an advantage. By understanding and anticipating the atmosphere in real time, we help aircraft do things that simply weren’t possible before.” 

The Albatross program will conduct autonomous soaring demonstrations across a variety of operational environments, evaluating how software-enabled planning and guidance can extend endurance under different conditions. 

“Albatross is an ideal venue to demonstrate how software-driven environmental intelligence can unlock new mission profiles,” Armstrong added. “It shows how capabilities that once seemed out of reach can now be achieved on existing aircraft.” 

Shearwater will support PhysicsAI, the prime contractor for the program, alongside Applied Aeronautics LLC. Program activities are underway, with flight demonstrations planned over the coming months.