Aidan Daly
Edge Autonomy, a provider of autonomous uncrewed aircraft systems, advanced optics and energy solutions to the Department of Defense, was awarded a follow-on contract by the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office, or PMA-263, for the delivery of the VXE30 Stalker small uncrewed aircraft system to support the Long Range/Long Endurance program of record.
In a press release Thursday, Josh Stinson, the chief growth officer at Edge Autonomy, said, “We are extremely proud to continue our support of the United States Marine Corps as they meet ever-evolving global challenges. Our customers’ missions drive our innovations, and we have developed and honed the capabilities of our VXE30 Stalker over the past 15 years to ensure the warfighter has the best technologies to fulfill their missions. This aircraft continues to prove itself in real-world combat, and expanding the USMC Stalker fleet will allow for even greater long range, long endurance capabilities needed in today’s battlefield.”
The VXE30 Stalker, a combat-proven sUAS, has logged over 100,000 flight hours. Edge Autonomy is the aircraft’s original equipment manufacturer. Fulfillment of the contract would bring the LR/LE program’s Stalker fleet to 200 units, advancing the Marine Corps’ focus on future force design through high-endurance, long-range uncrewed systems with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Stinson added, “The days of needing a large Group 3 aircraft for long-range or long-endurance missions are quickly passing. Our VXE30 Stalker steps into this role as a light, rugged and robust Group 2 that is easy to transport and operate within a small logistics footprint. This enables the warfighter to ‘do more with less’ heavy equipment in support of the Marine Corps’ shift toward Distributed Operations.”
“Edge Autonomy is honored to continue our support of LR/LE and the USMC’s Force Design plan,” Stinson said further. “Our VXE30 Stalker has already been proven to be a great asset to the warfighter, and expanding these capabilities through an increased fleet will further situational awareness and operational efficiency.”
