The defense company Airbus is developing a MQ-72C Logistics Connector for the US Marine Corps (USMC). To summarize, the Logistics Connector is a helicopter drone: an autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aerial system (UAS) capable of carrying significant quantities of cargo; this capability can be invaluable for militaries that want to transport equipment to contested environments or areas where supplying operations by land are challenging. Zona Militar spoke with Carl Forsling Senior Business Development Manager for Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, about the future of this program and why Latin American militaries should take notice.
The program is still in its infancy, but moving forward fast: Airbus Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded Airbus in May 2024 a Phase I Other Transaction Authority (OTA) through the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium, based on its uncrewed UH-72 Logistics Connector concept, a variant of the UH-72 Lakota helicopter. Forsling explained that Airbus has been selected for military acquisition for rapid prototyping, “the objective is to, in 60 months or less, develop a mature capability and turn it into a capability ready to be fielded.”
Airbus has carried out recent demonstrations and will continue to do so next year. The first demonstration occurred last October 2024 at Marine Corps Air Station New River and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. A more recent one took place at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma this past May.
This project is a joint partnership. Airbus is providing the airframe for the Logistics Connector, which is based on its H145/UH-72 helicopter. The company is teaming up with several renowned defense companies for autonomy and other systems: L3Harris, Shield AI, and Parry Labs. A couple of months ago, the Team Lakota Connector conducted the first autonomous helicopter test flight using Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy package. The test occurred in Grand Prairie, Texas. A second autonomous test has already taken place.
Multiple Mission-Capabilities
The Connector is primarily designed to transport supplies in a variety of environments: ship-to-ship, ship-to-coast, or to contested locations of the battlefield. The basic design showcased at recent defense shows in Washington, DC, could open from the nose, sides, or back, with rollers inside for quick recovery of its cargo.
The Airbus executive explained that the platform can transport “a couple thousand pounds of whatever you want to bring to the battle space,” such as ammo, food, supplies, or even loitering munitions, missiles, and other systems. Forsling told ZM that at one of the demonstrations, “we provided a cargo mockup with the basic frame that mimics the loading mechanism of the Lakota, so that Marines can practice loading and unloading cargo.”
Forsling also told ZM that the company is also considering additional uses for the Connector, such as search and recovery and medical evacuation. A fleet of Connectors could carry command and control (C2) systems or sensors and radars, improving network coverage and surveillance operations, the Airbus executive told ZM.
“Transporting cargo is the driving force, but as the capability matures, the opportunities will grow. We have the digital backup to adopt new missions we haven’t thought of,” Forsling said. “The limit is the creativity of the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the operational command,” he concluded.
A technology that Latin American militaries should monitor
While the capability is still in its infancy, Forsling believes Latin American militaries should monitor it. South America’s geography is particularly challenging and complex, as it includes deserts, mountain chains like the Andes, and the Amazon rainforest; hence, having a capability like Connector could help transport supplies (food, water, equipment, ammo) to forward operating locations faster and more safely than via rivers or dangerous skies.
Forsling explained that the US military must maintain interest in this type of capability for it to become more mature, and for prices to go down. However, as Latin American militaries continue to be interested in drone technology (Ecuador’s Air Force recently launched its own drone squadron, while the Colombian Army now has a drone battalion), the Logistics Connector could be considered as a long-term acquisition program for next decade. “The mission applicability is wide not just for the US marines, US Navy or US forces in the Pacific,” Forsling highlighted. The capabilities and potential applications of this system are extensive.
The US Marines are expected to issue a decision on the program’s future soon. Airbus remains hopeful that the company will be selected to continue developing the system. “Next year we would like to start doing heavy modifications to the aircraft and deliver a more fully missionized configuration,” in addition to sensor integration and ground control, Forsling concluded.
You may also like Exportable Energy: The next frontier for light, tactical vehicles
