Near Earth Autonomy has been awarded a $790k contract to provide its Firefly miniaturised autonomy system for the US Marine Corps Tactical Resupply Uncrewed Aircraft System (TRUAS) programme.
Awarded by SURVICE Engineering, this subcontract is part of a broader $4.6m agreement aimed at enhancing integration and demonstration efforts.
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The funding is in line with the Marine Corps’ initiative to improve autonomous resupply capabilities in challenging and restricted environments.
The Firefly system developed by Near Earth has been integrated with the TRV-150 uncrewed aerial system (UAS) platform, supplied by SURVICE and its partner Malloy Aeronautics, facilitating autonomous resupply missions. This integration allows for operations without the need for pre-mapped routes or specifically prepared landing zones.
It is engineered to transport supplies to small units operating in remote and inaccessible locations, as well as for rapid and precise resupply and routine distribution.
SURVICE Applied Engineering VP Mark Butkiewicz said: “We continue to look for technologies that improve warfighters ability to operate in unpredictable, complex environments, and designed standardised modular and open interfaces to our platform to support easier integration of technologies such as Near Earth’s Firefly.”
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By GlobalDataThe integrated UAS is set to be delivered this summer, after which NAVAIR will use it to refine Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) in contested logistics scenarios.
The lightweight Firefly system offers enhanced environmental perception and intelligent flight capabilities.
It allows TRUAS to autonomously detect hazards, identify safe flight paths and landing zones, and maintain high cargo capacity and range, thereby increasing mission assurance.
This system is tailored for small cargo UAS operations in difficult environments for the Navy and Marine Corps.
Near Earth CEO Sanjiv Singh said: “The Firefly autonomy system is designed to give the US Marine Corps a critical edge in contested and complex environments.
“By enabling autonomous resupply without the need for pre-mapped routes or clear landing zones, we’re reducing risk to personnel and ensuring that essential supplies reach frontline units faster and more reliably than ever before. This capability enhances operational agility and strengthens the Marines’ ability to sustain missions in the most challenging conditions.”
In 2021, the US Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Four demonstrated the capabilities of two UAS for potential future cargo resupply missions.
The systems tested were the TRUAS or TRV-150 and the Blue Water Logistics UAS (BWUAS).
