Marine Corps To Advance Uncrewed VTOL Program

Marines are looking to unmanned vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to support logistics for distributed operations.

Monday, May 16, 2022 at 06:16 PM ET

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Last fall, Kaman Corporation unveiled a medium-lift, autonomous unmanned quadcopter system purpose-built for expeditionary logistics operations that can be operated by as few as two people. [Courtesy: Kaman Corporation]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Marine Corps is launching a new uncrewed vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) cargo program (ULS-AL) in fiscal year 2023.
This initiative aims to improve logistics support for Marines in the western Pacific by leveraging cost-effective, easily maintainable hybrid and electric VTOL technology from the commercial sector.
The program signifies a paradigm shift for Marine aviation, empowering logistics units with their own air platforms and adopting a "family of systems" approach to adapt to rapid technological advancements.
The Marine Corps plans to draw from a growing commercial market for uncrewed VTOL cargo aircraft, with several companies already developing or testing relevant solutions.

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The U.S. Marine Corps is poised to launch a new uncrewed vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) program for cargo in the coming year, according to reports.

The initiative, which would draw from technology emerging in the commercial sector, would be aimed at supporting logistics for Marines in the western Pacific. Marines are eyeing hybrid and electric VTOL technology emerging in the commercial sector for the service’s new unmanned logistics system-airborne large (ULS-AL) program it intends to initiate in fiscal 2023 in order to support distributed operations, Aviation Week reported.