HANGAR TALK UAS & eVTOL NEWS RELATING TO UNCrewed, AAM & eVTOL SYSTEMS
Artistic rendering of R66 TURBINETRUCK equipped with Sikorsky’s proven MATRIX™ autonomy system. Credit: Robinson Unmanned.
complexity,” said Paul Fermo, president of Robinson Unmanned. “By combining MATRIX’s advanced autonomous capability with the rugged, flight-proven R66 airframe, the R66 TURBINETRUCK delivers that capability whenever and wherever it’s needed—no matter the environment.”
Why It Matters
The MARV-EL program is the middleweight capability responding to a gap within the Unmanned Logistics System – Air (ULS-A) program.
Sikorsky and Robinson Unmanned Secure U.S. Marine Corps Contract for Autonomous Aerial Logistics Program
The United States Marine Corps recently awarded a $15.5 million contract to Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, 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
commercially developed by
Sikorsky and Robinson Unmanned that combines Sikorsky’s proven MATRIX™ autonomy system with the rugged R66 airframe from Robinson Helicopter Company to provide flexible, affordable and rapid combat sustainment.
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.
Executive Perspectives
“As we expand the MATRIX family, we also extend the reach of uncrewed solutions for both civil and military customers,” said Rich Benton, vice president and general manager of Sikorsky. “The commercially developed R66 TURBINETRUCK is simple, economical and re-configurable; ideal for high-risk, hard-to-reach environments where keeping personnel out of harm’s way is essential.”
“Our partnership with Sikorsky brings the trusted performance and reliability of the R66 platform into the unmanned logistics arena,” said David Smith, president and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company. “The R66 TURBINETRUCK represents a significant step forward in
expanding proven rotorcraft into
scalable, autonomous cargo solutions for demanding operational environments. Together, we are delivering a game-changing capability that will enhance warfighter readiness and open new opportunities for safe, reliable and affordable autonomous transport.”
“Operators need logistics solutions that can keep pace with rapidly changing mission demands without increasing
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• Payload & Range: MARV-EL requires an uncrewed aircraft that can carry a logistic payload between 1,300 and 2,500 pounds to a combat radius of 100 nautical miles (NM), operating through a common digital handheld device.
•
Delivery: Robinson Unmanned will deliver the first R66 TURBINETRUCK to Sikorsky for integration, test and evaluation, and demonstration. Capability demonstrations will showcase MATRIX’s platform and open architecture design operating on the R66 TURBINETRUCK airframe.
•
Integration: MATRIX will integrate into the R66 TURBINETRUCK in a similar manner as Sikorsky’s S-70UAS U-Hawk helicopter, while incorporating a smaller footprint, different
performance • parameters and a lower operating cost.
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.
•
Experience: Sikorsky participated in the U.S. Marine Corps’ Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) Phase 1 in 2025 and will be bringing that experience to MARV-EL Increment 2.
May/June 2026
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