Kacey Roberts
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense has showcased the UH-72B Lakota helicopter‘s ability to carry specialized cargo under its Aerial Logistics Connector rapid prototyping program contract, which aims to develop and test advanced aerial logistics for warfighters.
The company said Monday ongoing demonstrations through 2025 will inform future acquisition decisions by assessing the modifications needed for the aircraft’s autonomous operations and payload capabilities.
Robert Geckle, company chairman and CEO and a past Wash100 awardee, said, “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.”
In May, the unmanned Lakota UH-72 version was selected for the first phase of the Marine Corps’ effort to acquire aerial logistics drones for future operations.
