Close to Earth Autonomy to ship miniaturized autonomy techniques for U.S. Marines

Near Earth Autonomy’s Firefly Miniaturized Autonomy System on the TRV150. | Source: Near Earth Autonomy

In support of the U.S. Navy, SURVICE Engineering today awarded Near Earth Autonomy a $790,000 contract. Under the contract, Near Earth will deliver and support miniaturized autonomy systems under SURVICE’s prime contract for the U.S. Marine Corps Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System (TRUAS) program.

The autonomous UAS is a Group 3 TRV-150 platform provided by SURVICE and its partner Malloy Aeronautics. The companies designed it to deliver critical supplies to small units in “austere,” limited-access areas.

The drone enables rapid resupply and routine distribution with high speed and precision, according to Near Earth Autonomy. Following its delivery this summer, NAVAIR plans to use the integrated UAS to refine CONOPS in contested logistics.

“The Firefly autonomy system is designed to give the U.S. Marine Corps a critical edge in contested and complex environments,” said Sanjiv Singh, CEO of Near Earth. “By enabling autonomous resupply without the need for pre-mapped routes or clear landing zones, we’re reducing risk to personnel and ensuring that essential supplies reach frontline units faster and more reliably than ever before. This capability enhances operational agility and strengthens the Marines’ ability to sustain missions in the most challenging conditions.”

This award is part of a larger contract, valued at $4.6 million, supporting integration and demonstration efforts.

Near Earth said its technology allows aircraft to autonomously take off, fly, and land safely, with or without GPS. Its systems enable aerial mobility applications for partners in the commercial and defense sectors. The Pittsburgh-based company aims to bridge the gap between aerospace and robotics with complete systems that improve efficiency, performance, and safety for aircraft ranging from small drones to full-size helicopters.

Firefly provides autonomy for previously unknown sites

Pity provides frontline units with essential supplies while reducing risk to personnel, explained Near Earth Autonomy. Traditional resupply methods are challenged by rough terrain and unpredictable conditions, requiring careful route planning and skilled handling.

The Firefly system overcomes these limitations, enabling mission planning without prior knowledge of the route or assurance that the landing site is level and clear, Near Earth said. The company’s lightweight Firefly system provides advanced environmental perception and intelligent flight capabilities, enabling TRUAS to autonomously:

Detect hazards such as trees, buildings, rocks, vehicles, and ditches
Identify safe flight paths and landing zones, enabling mission planning without prior knowledge of obstacles
Maintain high cargo capacity and range while increasing mission assurance

Near Earth’s miniaturized system integrates with the TRUAS platform to provide precise navigation and landing capabilities while maintaining high cargo payload capacity. These capabilities enable TRUAS to operate effectively in confined and contested environments, increasing operational effectiveness while reducing risk to personnel.

This system is part of Near Earth’s broader efforts to enable autonomous logistics across scale, from small UAS to large helicopters.

The Firefly system enables a drone to make a delivery to a confined area. Source: Near Earth Autonomy

Near Earth builds on a decade of innovation

Near Earth’s miniaturized systems build on over a decade of innovation in autonomous aerial logistics, starting with helicopter systems and adapting them for the weight requirements of small UAS. The progression began with the Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS), which pioneered rotorcraft autonomy for Marine Corps resupply and demonstrated the feasibility of autonomous helicopter operations in austere environments.

Building on this foundation, Near Earth miniaturized the system and applied it to the Talon Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) for Unmanned Logistics Systems – Air (ULS-A), demonstrating autonomy for small, uncrewed aircraft capable of operating in confined areas.

The Firefly system is the latest advancement in this progression, providing autonomous capabilities in a form factor to enable small cargo UAS operations in contested and confined environments for the Navy and Marine Corps TRUAS program.

“We continue to look for technologies that improve warfighters ability to operate in unpredictable, complex environments, and designed standardized modular and open interfaces to our platform to support easier integration of technologies such as Near Earth’s Firefly,” said Mark Butkiewicz, vice president of applied engineering at SURVICE. “We are excited to be able to provide an added capability that can improve the warfighters ability to sustain operations in contested and confined battlespaces, helping ensure critical supplies reach the warfighter whenever and wherever they are needed.”