In early May, Aurora’s Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System (AACUS) successfully delivered cargo to U.S. Marines in the Integrated Training Exercise at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California. According to Aurora Flight Sciences, AACUS completed its first closed loop mission from takeoff to landing for its intended purpose of actual cargo resupply to Marines, as it successfully completed an autonomous cargo sustainment flight delivering more than 500 pounds of water, gasoline, MREs, and replacement communications gear including a packed cooler to represent urgently required cargo such as blood.

The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded Endeavor Robotics a $10 million contract for its “lightweight, battle-proven” FirstLook robots. Weighing in at five pounds, the ‘throwable’ FirstLook robot can be dropped roughly 20 feet onto concrete without sustaining damage. The robots are typically used to clear buildings, detect IEDs, and are also a top choice for confined spaces like caves, tunnels and crawl spaces. More than 1,000 FirstLook robots have been fielded across the world to military, law enforcement and industrial customers.

Altavian, Inc. has been awarded a $250 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract with the US Army. Altavian will support the largest small UAS program in the world, under the Program Executive Office Aviation, Products Office for Tactical Unmanned Aircraft (TUAS). The US Army Family of Systems, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (FoSUAS) includes the RQ-11 and RQ-20 UAS, as well as supporting control and communications equipment, and other technologies to be fielded over the contract period of performance. All systems are designed to be carried by a “single dismounted warfighter,” quickly assembled, and deployed to provide “immediate over-the-hill surveillance and reconnaissance.”

When Canada’s Aeryon Labs decided to set up a separate defense-focused company so it could work with the U.S. military on unmanned systems programs, it quickly settled on Colorado — and specifically Denver — as home for the new Aeryon Defense, which just launched on Feb. 1.   Tom Jackson, a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer and AH-1W Super Cobra pilot who is the company’s vice president and general manager, was already in the area, as were other employees who formed the nucleus of the new venture.   Beyond that, however, the state and city offered some unique attributes. Colorado is very centrally located, so it’s easier for the company to support multiple time zones and for company officials to travel to defense facilities around the country.