Elroy Air has announced that it has been awarded a USD46 million, multi-year contract with the U.S. Army for the development of an autonomous hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aircraft system for modular multi-mission payload delivery.
“The new agreement builds on previous U.S. Army contracts from the past two years and will focus on ensuring the company’s heavy-cargo drone Chaparral can operate alongside service members in contested, austere environments by enhancing its modular multi-mission payload versatility and payload delivery mechanisms,” said the company in a press release. “Additionally, the program will advance key tactical enabling technologies required for the modern battlefield, such as an expeditionary mobile mission planner, cyber-protected communication links, GPS-denied/contested navigation, elevated autonomy, and reliable field operation under military conditions.”
“This contract reinforces the critical role that heavy-lift autonomous hybrid VTOL drones will play in modern defence operations,” said Dr. Andrew Clare, CEO of Elroy Air. “We are thrilled to expand our partnership with the U.S. Army to bring rapid, autonomous heavy cargo delivery capabilities that increase operational throughput and reduce risk for our troops.”
The U.S. Department of War (DoW) has outlined contested logistics technologies as one of six Critical Technology Areas (CTAs) essential to addressing the United States’ most pressing national security challenges, said the company.
Elroy Air’s Chaparral is an uncrewed, autonomous VTOL aircraft that carries 500 plus pounds of cargo and requires no runways, airstrips, or other fixed infrastructure to operate enabling resupply in the austere, degraded, and denied environments where traditional logistics networks fail. Its hybrid-electric powertrain delivers the reliability of electric propulsion with extended range of up to 450 miles, and requires no charging infrastructure, further reducing the logistics footprint needed to sustain operations. Multi-mission pods allow rapid reconfiguration across payload types, giving Army and DoW partners the operational flexibility to adapt to evolving mission needs in the field.
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