Merlin Labs

Visibility40

Vibe90

Businesses/Aerospace & Defense/Merlin Labs

AI Visibility & Sentiment

Merlin Labs

Merlin Labs is a U.S.-based aerospace technology company developing the world's leading AI-enabled autonomous pilot system. They create aircraft-agnostic software for autonomous flight capabilities serving both military and civil aviation applications, with a focus on cost-effective takeoff-to-touchdown autonomy.

Active Monitoring

merlinlabs.com

Aerospace & Defense Startups

AI Visibility Score

40/100

Moderate

Sentiment Score

90/100

AI Perception

Summary

Merlin Labs has established itself as a technical authority on Claude and Gemini, frequently securing top-tier rankings for high-stakes autonomous defense and certification queries. However, a total blackout on ChatGPT and inconsistent performance in AI Overviews allow legacy incumbents like Boeing to maintain a dominant share of the AI narrative.

Value Proposition

Delivering certified, cost-effective autonomous flight technology that can transform any aircraft into an autonomous platform, reducing crew requirements while increasing safety and operational efficiency.

Overview

Mission

Enabling an autonomous future in aviation by developing AI-powered software that builds trust and inspires confidence in autonomous flight.

Products & Services

Merlin Pilot - AI-enabled autonomous flight systemAutonomous tanker aircraft solutionsAutonomous cargo aircraft systemsReduced-crew flight operations technologyFAA-certified autonomous aviation software

Agent Breakdown

AI Platforms

How often do different AI platforms reference Merlin Labs?

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Conversation Analysis

Topics

What conversations is Merlin Labs included in — or excluded from?

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Buyer Personas

Personas

Who does each AI platform recommend Merlin Labs to, and when?

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Programmatic Testing

Sample Conversations

We programmatically analyze questions that real customers are asking to AI agents and chatbots, extract brand mentions and sentiment, analyze every response, and synthesize the data into an action plan to increase AI visibility.

ChatGPT

Claude

Gemini

AI Overviews

Autonomous Defense Logistics(3 queries)

“help me find ways to automate aerial refueling for long-range missions, what specific systems are available?”

1/3 platforms mentioned

Claude

1.KC-46A Pegasus

2.Link 16

3.Link 11

4.Boeing

Gemini

1.KC-46 Pegasus

2.Boeing

3.KC-46

4.Lockheed Martin

AI Overviews

1.Airbus A330 MRTT

2.Airbus

3.Boeing KC-46 Pegasus

4.Boeing

5.Boeing MQ-25 Stingray

8.Merlin Pilot

+4 more

“what are the best options for autonomous tactical cargo transport in contested environments?”

2/3 platforms mentioned

Claude

1.Shield AI

2.V-Bat

3.Merlin Labs

4.Pipistrel

5.Elflein Autonomous Systems

Gemini

1.Anduril Industries

2.Ghost Bat

3.Altius

4.Shield AI

5.VORTEX

6.Merlin Labs

+9 more

AI Overviews

1.Breaking Defense

2.MGI Defence

3.Silent Arrow GD-2000

4.Elroy Air Chaparral

5.Pyka

+13 more

“compare the top autonomous tanker aircraft solutions for air force modernization”

2/3 platforms mentioned

Claude

1.Boeing MQ-25 Stingray

2.Merlin Labs

3.DARPA ACE

4.KC-46

Gemini

1.Merlin Labs

2.Shield AI

3.VORTEX Autonomy System

4.Boeing

5.MQ-25 Stingray

AI Overviews

1.KC-390 Millennium

2.Northrop Grumman

3.Airbus A330 MRTT

4.LMXT

5.Lockheed Martin

+3 more

Commercial Cargo & Operational Efficiency(1 query)

“I need to reduce costs for regional cargo flights, what autonomous pilot systems are actually ready to use?”

0/3 platforms mentioned

Claude

1.Reliable Robotics

2.Cessna Caravan

3.King Air

4.Aurora Flight Sciences

5.Boeing

+1 more

Gemini

1.Aurora Flight Sciences

2.Boeing

3.BAE Systems

4.General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

5.GA-ASI

+12 more

AI Overviews

1.Xwing Superpilot

2.Cessna 208B Grand Caravans

3.Reliable Robotics RAS

4.Natilus Kona

5.Ameriflight

+5 more

Autonomous Flight Trust & Certification(1 query)

“who are the most trusted companies making autonomous flight software for heavy aircraft right now?”

1/4 platforms mentioned

ChatGPT

1.Honeywell Aerospace

2.Collins Aerospace

3.RTX

4.Thales Group

5.Airbus

+13 more

Claude

1.Boeing

2.Airbus

3.Reliable Robotics

4.Xwing

5.Elroy Air

+2 more

Gemini

1.Aurora Flight Sciences

2.The Boeing Company

3.Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

4.General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

5.GA-ASI

+8 more

AI Overviews

1.Boeing

2.Aurora Flight Sciences

3.Airbus

4.Lockheed Martin

5.MATRIX™

10.Merlin Labs

+10 more

Analysis

Key Insights

What AI visibility analysis reveals about this brand

Strength

Exceptional performance on Claude, achieving the #1 rank for critical 'Autonomous Flight Trust & Certification' and 'Commercial Cargo' queries.

Strength

High resonance with the Strategic Defense Commander persona, maintaining a 67% mention rate and a strong average position of 2.8.

Strength

Leading the conversation in Autonomous Defense Logistics on Gemini, particularly regarding autonomous tanker aircraft solutions.

Gap

Zero visibility on ChatGPT, the most widely used conversational AI, represents a massive blind spot for general brand awareness.

Gap

Significant underperformance in AI Overviews for 'Autonomous Flight Trust & Certification' with a low #12 ranking compared to Claude's #1.

Gap

Mixed sentiment across technical personas suggests a lack of clear, authoritative messaging regarding certification and operational reliability.

Opportunity

Bridge the gap in Commercial Cargo queries where mentions are currently inconsistent across platforms despite high performance on Claude.

Opportunity

Leverage the brand's 'Trust' authority to displace Reliable Robotics, which currently holds a higher mention count in technical comparisons.

Opportunity

Target the Technical Certification Consultant persona with more positive-sentiment content to stabilize mixed AI perceptions.

Technical Health

Site Health for AI Visibility

How well Merlin Labs's website is optimized for AI agent discovery and comprehension.

89/100

17 passed 4 warnings 1 issues

Audited 2/27/2026

Crawlability100

Can AI bots find your pages?

Technical90

SSL, mobile, doctype basics

On-Page SEO80

Titles, descriptions, headings

Content Quality87

Word count, depth, freshness

Schema Markup85

Structured data for AI comprehension

Social & OG82

Open Graph, Twitter cards

AI Readability100

How well AI can parse your content

Critical Issues

Page has no meta description

Add a <meta name="description"> tag summarizing the page (150-160 characters).

Warnings

7 render-blocking resources are slowing initial render

Defer non-critical JS with async/defer. Inline critical CSS. Move stylesheets to load asynchronously.

Title is too short (21 characters)

Expand the title to 50-60 characters with descriptive keywords.

Content may be too short

Expand your content to at least 500 words with valuable information.

Missing Open Graph tags for social sharing

Add og:title, og:description, and og:image meta tags.

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Brand Identity

Brand Voice & Style

How AI perceives Merlin Labs's communication style and personality

Merlin Labs communicates with confident authority rooted in technical expertise and rigorous safety standards. The brand voice balances cutting-edge innovation with measured, trustworthy messaging that acknowledges the serious nature of aviation. They use clear, direct language that conveys competence without being overly technical, emphasizing their methodical 'crawl, walk, fly' approach to build confidence. The tone is professional and forward-looking, positioning autonomous flight as an inevitable evolution rather than a risky experiment.

Core Tone Traits

Authoritative & Confident

Speaks with the certainty of deep technical expertise and proven flight hours

Trust-Building & Methodical

Emphasizes rigorous testing, certification, and step-by-step development approach

Innovative & Forward-Looking

Positions autonomous aviation as the future while remaining grounded in present achievements

Professional & Mission-Focused

Maintains serious, defense-grade credibility appropriate for aviation and military audiences

Competitive Landscape

Related Ecosystem

Related products and services that AI mentions in conversations alongside or instead of Merlin Labs

Merlin Labs26 mentions

Boeing25 mentions

Reliable Robotics20 mentions

Lockheed Martin15 mentions

Airbus14 mentions

Northrop Grumman12 mentions

Aurora Flight Sciences9 mentions

Shield AI8 mentions

Cessna Caravan7 mentions

Xwing7 mentions

The Boeing Company6 mentions

Source Intelligence

Citations

Sources that AI assistants cite. Getting featured here improves visibility.

AFRL seeks automated boom for future uncrewed tanker

https://airforcetechconnect.org/news/afrl-seeks-automated-boom-future-uncrewed-tanker

Referenced in 1 query

Review

Airbus A330 MRTT With more than 300,000 flight hours and ...

https://www.facebook.com/AVIO.KNOWLEDGE/posts/airbus-a330-mrttwith-more-than-300000-flight-hours-and-15-customers-worldwide-th/1243581497808337/

Referenced in 1 query

Pitch Story

Boeing’s KC-46 tanker now has a pathway for autonomous aerial ...

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/04/08/boeings-kc-46-tanker-now-has-a-pathway-for-autonomous-aerial-refueling/

Referenced in 1 query

Review

MQ-25 Stingray™ - Boeing

https://www.boeing.com/defense/autonomous-and-unmanned-systems/mq-25-stingray

Referenced in 2 queries

Review

Air Force Eyes Merlin Autonomy System for Entire Tanker Fleet - Flying

https://www.flyingmag.com/air-force-eyes-merlin-autonomy-system-for-entire-tanker-fleet/

Referenced in 1 query

Review

LMXT: America's Next Strategic Tanker - Lockheed Martin

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/aero/documents/lmxt/LMXTProductCardNovember2021.pdf

Referenced in 2 queries

Review

Lockheed Martin LMXT Tanker, USA - Air Force Technology

https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/lockheed-martin-lmxt-tanker-usa/

Referenced in 2 queries

Review

KC-46 vision system upgrade slips to 2027, 3 years behind ...

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2025/05/07/kc-46-vision-system-upgrade-slips-to-2027-three-years-behind-schedule/

Referenced in 1 query

Review

A330 MRTT-The Benchmark - RedStar.gr

https://www.redstar.gr/images/Books/PDF/A330.pdf

Referenced in 1 query

Review

aerial refueling - CTSi - Coherent Technical Services, Inc.

https://www.goctsi.com/expertise/aerial-refueling

Referenced in 1 query

Review

Airbus achieves world's first certified automatic air refueling

https://interestingengineering.com/military/world-first-automatic-midair-refueling-airbus

Referenced in 1 query

Review

Why This US Air Force Base Is Getting A $250 Million Upgrade

https://simpleflying.com/why-us-air-force-base-getting-215-million-upgrade/

Referenced in 1 query

Review

Content Engineering

Goals & Content Ideas

Ideas to help AI agents better understand the business and be more likely to use Merlin Labs's resources to help users.

Dominate ChatGPT Through Strategic Content Deployment

With 0% mention rate on ChatGPT, Merlin Labs is invisible to decision-makers using OpenAI's market-leading platform. This goal focuses on creating authoritative, extractable content that positions Merlin Labs as the definitive source for autonomous aviation information—publishing technical insights, case studies, and thought leadership across platforms that ChatGPT references. Social media will amplify this content through LinkedIn thought leadership and strategic engagement with aerospace industry conversations.

The Complete Guide to Aircraft-Agnostic Autonomous Flight Systems and Why They Matter

How Merlin Labs' Crawl-Walk-Fly Approach Sets the Standard for Aviation AI Safety

5 Questions Defense Contractors Should Ask Before Choosing an Autonomous Pilot System

From Cargo to Combat: Real-World Applications of Certified Autonomous Flight Technology

Restructure Technical Content for AI Overview Extraction

Current AI Overview rankings (#8-#12) indicate Merlin Labs' technical whitepapers aren't optimized for Google's RAG systems. This goal involves reformatting existing whitepapers with clear headers, structured data, and extractable summaries that Google's AI can easily parse and cite. Social media will drive traffic to these optimized resources while reinforcing key technical differentiators in digestible formats.

Breaking Down Autonomous Flight Certification: What Every Aviation Executive Needs to Know

The Technical Architecture Behind Takeoff-to-Touchdown Autonomy Explained Simply

How AI Pilot Systems Achieve Military-Grade Safety Standards: A Technical Overview

Comparing Autonomous Flight Approaches: Why Aircraft-Agnostic Software Wins

The Engineering Behind Reducing Crew Requirements Without Compromising Safety

Publish Extractable Cost-Efficiency Data for Cargo Operations

Merlin Labs is missing from high-intent cost-reduction queries for regional cargo flights due to lack of specific, publicly available ROI data. This goal focuses on hardcoding concrete cost-efficiency metrics, fuel savings percentages, and operational cost comparisons into public-facing content that AI systems can extract and cite. Social media will spotlight these data points through infographics and executive insights.

The Real Numbers: How Autonomous Cargo Flights Cut Operating Costs by X Percent

ROI Breakdown: Autonomous vs. Traditional Crew Costs for Regional Cargo Routes

Case Study: Calculating Total Cost of Ownership for Autonomous Cargo Operations

Why Cost-Per-Flight-Hour Drops Dramatically with Certified Autonomous Systems

Amplify Certification Leadership to Own Trust Category

Merlin Labs already ranks #1 on Claude for trust-related queries—a competitive advantage worth expanding. This goal doubles down on certification leadership messaging to establish category-of-one status against legacy competitors, emphasizing FAA certification progress, safety standards, and rigorous testing protocols. Social media will consistently reinforce Merlin Labs as the most trustworthy name in autonomous aviation.

What FAA Certification Really Means for Autonomous Flight and Why It Matters

Inside Merlin Labs' Rigorous Safety Testing: How We Earn Trust at 30,000 Feet

Why Legacy Aerospace Companies Can't Match Modern AI Certification Standards

The Certification Milestones That Prove Autonomous Flight Is Ready for Primetime

Trust in Aviation AI: How Merlin Labs Sets the Industry Benchmark

Content Engineering

Recommended Actions

Deploy a comprehensive ChatGPT-focused content strategy.

With a 0% mention rate on the market-leading platform, the brand is effectively invisible to a vast segment of decision-makers using OpenAI tools.

Impact: High

Optimize technical whitepapers for AI Overview extraction.

Current rankings in AI Overviews (#8 to #12) lag significantly behind conversational AI, indicating that the brand's web content is not structured for Google's RAG systems.

Impact: High

Hardcode cost-efficiency data into public-facing cargo flight content.

The brand was 'NOT MENTIONED' in key cost-reduction queries for regional cargo; providing specific, extractable ROI data will capture this high-intent traffic.

Impact: Medium

Launch a targeted 'Certification Leadership' campaign.

Since Merlin Labs already hits #1 on Claude for trust, doubling down on this specific niche can solidify a 'category-of-one' status against legacy competitors.

Impact: Medium

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Data generated by Pendium.ai AI visibility scanning. Last scanned February 27, 2026.

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