Bell Textron has been selected by Near Earth Autonomy to provide a Bell 505 airframe for prototyping an autonomous aerial logistics aircraft under the US Marine Corps’ Aerial Resupply Vehicle, Expeditionary Logistics Increment 2 programme, according to Bell.
The programme aims to prototype an uncrewed logistics aircraft capable of tactical-edge resupply in contested environments, serving as a middle-weight uncrewed logistics asset. The contract will deliver an autonomous aerial logistics capability that exceeds programme performance threshold requirements and accommodates a wide range of payloads and standard containers.
Bell will provide engineering support to Near Earth on modifications to the Bell 505 for autonomy integration and enhanced cargo handling.
Jason Hurst, Bell SVP of Engineering, said the platform would be “a step forward in transforming the U.S. Marine Corps’ autonomous operations and how our warfighters navigate on the battlefield”, describing Bell as leveraging its decades of experience with the US armed forces and applying it to the versatile Bell 505. He added that Bell looked forward to “continuing to build upon our relationship and prior autonomy development with Near Earth in support of the MARV-EL program.”
The partnership builds on previous collaboration between Bell and Near Earth Autonomy, including work on Bell’s Aircraft Laboratory for Future Autonomy platform, revealed in 2024, through which the two companies integrated an advanced perception system for autonomous flight demonstrations.
