The military’s next big thing: Drones to supply U. S. troops

‘ Pilot in a box’ plan is a high- tech leap

BEALETON, VA. Standing next to a grass airstrip in this town southwest of Washington a defense contractor keys a supply request into a small tablet computer and hits send.

Within seconds, a Huey helicopter lifts off from a field and heads toward the airstrip. It has a pilot onboard, but he’s following instructions from a computer that will replace him in the next phase of testing.

“The aircraft was making its own decisions,” pilot Jason Jewell said after the 30- year- old helicopter landed.

The demonstration is the latest development in an ambitious effort by the Marine Corps to use unmanned aircraft to resupply troops in the field. This demon- stration, by Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., tests what the military calls a “pilot in a box.”

It lets Marines convert manned helicopters into remotecontrolled craft that can deliver supplies without putting pilots in harm’s way.

The Marines also are looking into small drones that can transport supplies similar to Amazon’s efforts with small packages. The drones can navigate narrow city blocks to deliver ammunition or water to an infantry squad engaged in combat.

If successful, the systems would not only reduce the risk to pilots but also allow the Marines to get supplies to troops in the field instead of piling them behind the front lines.

Marines go to war today with more equipment than any time in history. An average infantry battalion has about 8,400 pieces of equipment, up from 3,200 15 years ago. The weight each Marine carries in battle averages roughly 100 pounds, more than three times what a Marine carried in World War II.

The extra weight has made the Marines more lethal and increased their ability to protect troops on the battlefield.

But the need for all the equipment makes supply lines vulnerable and slows the mobility of Marines, an expeditionary force that likes to travel light.

The program demonstrated at this small airfield is part of a $ 70 million contract with Aurora Flight Sciences.

The pilot is a metal box weighing about 150 pounds that is bolted into the Huey helicopter. Sensors mounted onto the nose of the aircraft scan for obstacles. The computer steers the helicopter away from power lines and other hazards.

Commanders say the technology will allow them to send multiple unmanned aircraft into a battlefield to deliver supplies.

Drones are only part of the solution. Marines also are evaluating 3- D printing to create parts and deliver them closer to the front, which would reduce the number of troops in logistical support and free them up for combat.