L3Harris Technologies and Airbus U.S. Space & Defense announced a teaming agreement to incorporate L3Harris’ platform system integration capabilities on the Airbus MQ-72C Logistics Connector, an unmanned variant of the UH-72 Lakota helicopter.
Airbus will use L3Harris’ digital backbone with integrated command and control nodes. Combined with their modular open systems approach, the infrastructure enables the U.S. Marines to rapidly integrate third-party, commercial off-the-shelf hardware that will enable maximum system versatility and mission adaptability.
Robert Geckle, Chairman and CEO, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense said, “Our MQ-72C platform is capable of supporting the warfighter on a range of unmanned operations that will support the future fight. Partnering with a proven systems integrator opens the aperture on what our aircraft can do operationally in contested and austere environments.”
This partnership will allow the Marines’ mission sets to evolve over the next several years and will enable more advanced levels of systems integration across the Marine Corps and broader joint force.
The Airbus team is entering the second year of the Aerial Logistics Connector Middle Tier of Acquisition Rapid Prototyping Program, which aims to provide the service with aircraft prototypes to demonstrate capabilities to the warfighter through a series of operational demonstrations and experiments.
The Aerial Logistics Connector effort is one of several across the Department of Defense to deliver logistical support in distributed environments during peer or near-peer conflicts.