The United States Marine Corps has awarded Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, a $15.5 million contract to advance the Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary Logistics program, known as MARV-EL.
The initiative, called MARV-EL Increment 2, aims to develop an autonomous aerial resupply solution for expeditionary operations in contested environments.
The selected proposal is the R66 TURBINETRUCK, an autonomous cargo helicopter commercially developed by Sikorsky in partnership with Robinson Unmanned. The aircraft combines Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy system with the airframe of the R66, manufactured by Robinson Helicopter Company.
According to the company, the platform was designed to transport ammunition, medical supplies, and other essential equipment directly to the point of need, even in hard-to-reach areas, under enemy threat, or in complex operational conditions.
Intermediate capability for military logistics
The MARV-EL program seeks to fill the gap between small tactical drones and large strategic transport aircraft. The idea is to provide the Marine Corps with a medium-sized unmanned logistics platform capable of operating from forward bases, ship decks, or improvised landing zones.
The R66 TURBINETRUCK can be used in situations where ground vehicles or crewed aircraft are not available, reducing the exposure of personnel during high-risk missions.
The aircraft will be equipped with the MATRIX system, Sikorsky’s autonomy technology also linked to the development of the new fully autonomous helicopter S-70UAS U-Hawk.
Autonomous and low-cost solution
For Sikorsky, the contract represents the expansion of the MATRIX family into new civil and military applications. Rich Benton, Sikorsky’s vice president and general manager, said the R66 TURBINETRUCK was designed as a simple, cost-effective, and reconfigurable platform for challenging environments and missions where it is essential to keep personnel out of high-risk areas.
David Smith, president and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company, highlighted that the partnership brings the reliability of the R66 platform into the unmanned logistics sector. According to him, the model represents progress in adapting proven aircraft into autonomous cargo transport solutions.
Paul Fermo, president of Robinson Unmanned, stated that military operators need logistics systems capable of keeping pace with rapidly changing mission demands without increasing operational complexity. In his view, the combination of the MATRIX system and the R66 airframe offers a flexible solution for different scenarios.
With this contract, the U.S. Marine Corps advances the development of an autonomous aerial resupply capability for expeditionary operations, in line with the growing demand for unmanned platforms capable of supporting forces in contested environments.
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Source and images: Sikorsky / Lockheed Martin. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
