The United States Marine Corps has 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
Rich Benton, Vice President and General Manager of Sikorsky, stated:
“As we expand the MATRIX family, we also extend the reach of uncrewed solutions for both civil and military customers. The commercially developed R66 TURBINETRUCK is simple, economical, and reconfigurable — ideal for high-risk, hard-to-reach environments where keeping personnel out of harm’s way is essential.”
David Smith, President and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company, added:
“Our partnership with Sikorsky brings the trusted performance and reliability of the R66 platform into the unmanned logistics arena. 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.”
Paul Fermo, President of Robinson Unmanned, concluded:
“Operators need logistics solutions that can keep pace with rapidly changing mission demands without increasing complexity. By combining MATRIX’s advanced autonomous capability with the rugged, flight-proven R66 airframe, the R66 TURBINETRUCK delivers that capability whenever and wherever it is 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. The R66 TURBINETRUCK will deliver a logistic payload between 1,300 and 2,500 pounds to a combat radius of 100 nautical miles, operating through a common digital handheld device.
