Nearly 2,000 airmen were chosen to rise to the rank of major in 2024.
"You just can't do this stuff in a simulated environment," Boeing's Scott Belanger said of the Autonomous Aircraft Inspection initiative.
JetZero and Northrop Grumman will ready a full-scale prototype for its first flight in 2027.
The Air Force chose 17.4% of eligible senior airmen for promotion to staff sergeant, down from last year’s selection rate of 21.1%.
