Airbus successfully presented the feasibility of the UH-72B Lakota helicopter for adaptation as a vertical-lift drone in a demonstration to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC). This first demo of the program, conducted at Marine Corps Air Station New River and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, supports the USMC’s Aerial Logistics Connector contract.
The demonstration evaluated the UH-72B Lakota’s performance characteristics and validated its ability to carry specialized cargo. It also highlighted Airbus’ approaches to meeting Marine Corps requirements for an Aerial Logistics Connector system designed to support forward operations at expeditionary bases.
“Integrating warfighter inputs early on in this phase of the contract helps ensure we’re hitting all the marks and gives us invaluable insights so we deliver the right capabilities to the U.S. Marine Corps,” said Rob Geckle, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Airbus U.S. Space and Defense..
This event is part of Aerial Logistics Connector’s Mid-Tier Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototyping Program, which aims to provide the service with prototype aircraft to demonstrate their capabilities through a series of operational demonstrations and experiments. Future demonstrations will provide more information on the aircraft’s capabilities and will focus on the modifications necessary for the aircraft to meet Marine Corps requirements to operate autonomously and carry specialized cargo. These demonstrations will continue through the remainder of 2024 and 2025 and will inform future acquisition decisions for the opportunity to build prototype aircraft.
In May 2024, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded Airbus U.S. Space & Defense a Phase I Transactional Authority Agreement, through the Naval Air Systems Consortium, based on its unmanned UH-72 Aerial Logistics Connector concept , a variant of the proven UH-72 Lakota platform.
The Aerial Logistics Connector program is one of several efforts across the U.S. Department of Defense to provide logistics support in distributed environments during conflicts with technologically peer or near-peer adversaries.
Airbus touts the conversion of the UH-72 platform as an affordable, low-risk solution for combat logistics in the expeditionary environment.
For the USMC demonstration, Airbus presented a Lakota mockup modified to operate as an unmanned cargo aircraft. By eliminating the crew stations, interior space was maximized, allowing cargo to be carried along the entire length of the fuselage. Its innovative design, which includes rear clamshell doors, side doors and the ability to open the forward fuselage, would make this aircraft a highly versatile platform for transporting bulky cargo, including standard containers. The open cockpit significantly facilitates loading and unloading operations.
