Overview
- Sikorsky and Robinson Unmanned won a $15.5 million US Marine Corps contract under the MARV-EL Increment 2 program to advance autonomous aerial resupply.
- The selected aircraft is the R66 Turbinetruck, which pairs Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy system with Robinson’s R66 helicopter airframe.
- Robinson Unmanned will deliver the first R66 to Sikorsky for integration, testing, evaluation, and flight demonstrations.
- Program targets call for carrying 1,300 to 2,500 pounds over a 100 nautical mile combat radius to reach austere sites such as ship decks or unprepared landing zones.
- Operators will set missions on a handheld tablet as MATRIX builds and flies the route using onboard sensors, drawing on methods proven on Sikorsky’s S-70UAS U-Hawk.