The U.S. Marine Corps is poised to launch a new uncrewed vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) program for cargo in the coming year, according to reports.

The initiative, which would draw from technology emerging in the commercial sector, would be aimed at supporting logistics for Marines in the western Pacific. Marines are eyeing hybrid and electric VTOL technology emerging in the commercial sector for the service’s new unmanned logistics system-airborne large (ULS-AL) program it intends to initiate in fiscal 2023 in order to support distributed operations, Aviation Week reported.

Speaking at last week’s Modern Day Marine event in Washington, D.C., Lt. Col. Nicholas Molder, of the Cunningham Group, the Marine Corps’ aviation think tank that designs future force initiatives, outlined that the concept aims to turn to a VTOL family of systems as a cost-effective way to continuously evolve capability.

“What we don’t have is a simpler air vehicle…

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Source: www.flyingmag.com