Jane Edwards
Aurora Flight Sciences has received a potential two-year, $11 million contract modification to build an autonomous airborne cargo platform for the U.S. Navy.
The Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System is an Office of Naval Research-funded program that seeks to allow remote-controlled, vertical take-off and landing platforms to perform cargo deliveries in unprepared landing sites, the Defense Department said Friday.
ONR plans to implement an open-architecture framework in order to facilitate the integration of the AACUS platform with unmanned and crewed rotary-wing planes.
Work will occur at the contractor’s facility in Manassas, Virginia, through Feb. 28, 2017, according to DoD.
ONR will obligate $3 million from the service branch’s fiscal 2016 research, test, development and evaluation funds at the time of award.
