The Office of Navy Research (ONR) has successfully completed the testing of two software and sensor packages that allow an unmanned helicopter to fly autonomously to deliver supplies to Marines, the agency said at the annual Navy League exposition this week.
The Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System, known as AACUS, allows operators to direct the aircraft with minimal training and through the use of a tablet, Rear. Adm. Matthew Klunder, the chief of ONR, told reporters.
“This is a giant leap in autonomous capabilities,” Klunder said.
AACUS gives the helicopters the capability to leave a base with supplies, determine an optimal route to the destination, select an appropriate landing site near soldiers and proceed with a landing. After dropping off supplies, it makes its way back to the base, Klunder said.
ONR is developing the capabilities under separate contracts with Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Aurora Sciences.
The technology also builds on the unmanned K-MAX system the Navy and Marine Corps sent to Afghanistan in 2011 to ferry cargo autonomously. The K-MAX system won high praise from senior Marine officers for its ability to deliver cargo to remote areas of the country.
K-MAX helps reduce the reliance on ground convoys vulnerable to roadside bombs and ambushes, and avoids the risks associated with pilots flying into combat areas. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for K-MAX.