Elodie Collins
Airbus U.S. Space and Defense recently conducted a demonstration to evaluate the performance characteristics of the UH-72B Lakota, the platform on which the company is basing the MQ-72C system, its proposal for the U.S. Marine Corps Aerial Logistics Connector Middle Tier of Acquisition Rapid Prototyping Program.
The latest demonstration, which took place at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, also showed that the Lakota can transport specialized cargo and that the aircraft can be modified to meet Marine Corps needs, Airbus U.S. Space and Defense said Tuesday.
Remarks by Rob Geckle
Commenting on the demonstration, Airbus U.S. Chairman and CEO and 2023 Wash100 Award winner Rob Geckle said the event illustrated “how our MQ-72C system can support a range of missions and payloads that Marines will need to perform operations in austere environments.”
“We believe this aircraft will redefine the future of Marine Corps aviation,” Geckle added.
Work on the ALC Program by Airbus U.S.
Airbus U.S. is entering the second year of the ALC program, which is being carried out by the Marine Corps to acquire aerial logistics drones that can be deployed to support expeditionary and distributed operations. The company joined the effort in May 2024 after it secured a Phase I Other Transactional Authority Agreement through the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium.
Since then, Airbus U.S. has conducted a prior, initial demonstration and partnered with L3Harris for its systems integration capabilities and Shield AI for the incorporation of its Hivemind autonomy software onto the MQ-72C.
Additional tests will be conducted throughout 2025.
