Merlin Inc (NASDAQ:MRLN) shares are rising in extended trading on Thursday after the company announced it completed the critical design review for its C-130J autonomy program.

Merlin Completes Critical Design Review

Merlin announced the successful completion of the critical design review for its C-130J autonomy program with the U.S. Special Operations Command, advancing the company from design development into aircraft integration activities.

The autonomous flight company said the milestone allows the program to enter a structured formal test campaign.

“Completing the Critical Design Review validates the architecture we’ve built for safe, scalable autonomy on large aircraft like the C-130J,” said Matt George, founder and CEO of Merlin.

“We are grateful for USSOCOM’s partnership and guidance in this effort as CDR is another important step in demonstrating that our system meets the rigorous standards required for our USG customers’ real-world deployment.”

Merlin went public in March via SPAC merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp IV. The company develops AI-powered autonomous flight software and systems for aircraft.

MRLN Shares Move Higher After The Close

MRLN Price Action: Merlin shares were up 20.61% in after-hours, trading at $8.66 at the time of publication on Thursday, per Benzinga Pro.

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