Sikorsky, Robinson Helicopter to Supply US Marines’ with Large Autonomous Supply Drone

The United States Marine Corps awarded a $15.5 million contract to Sikorsky for the Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) Increment 2 program.

The offering selected for award is the R66 TURBINETRUCK, an autonomous cargo helicopter  developed by Sikorsky and Robinson Unmanned that combines Sikorsky’s proven MATRIX autonomy system with the rugged R66 airframe.

The ability to deliver ammunition, medical supplies and other essential equipment at the point of need – regardless of terrain, weather, or enemy threat – is critical to the U.S. Marine Corps’ continued success.

The MARV-EL program fills a capability gap between small tactical drones and large strategic airlifters, delivering a reliable “middleweight” uncrewed logistics platform capable of operating from austere forward operating bases, ship decks or unimproved landing zones.

The R66 TURBINETRUCK will support mission success when ground or crewed aviation assets are unavailable and keep personnel out of danger in high‑risk scenarios.

The R66 TURBINETRUCK is enabled by the MATRIX system and will leverage similar features as Sikorsky’s new fully autonomous S-70UAS U-Hawk helicopter.

Payload & Range: MARV-EL requires an uncrewed aircraft that can carry a logistic payload between 1,300 and 2,500 lbs to a combat radius of 100 nautical miles (NM), operating through a common digital handheld device.

Operator Workflow: Similar to the U-Hawk helicopter, the operator enters the mission objectives into a digital tablet. The system then automatically creates a flight plan, using sensors and algorithms to guide the R66 TURBINETRUCK safely to the target location.