Engineering company Leidos and autonomous aircraft systems developer Elroy Airannouncedthat they received approval to demonstrate the Chaparral, a lift-plus-cruise hybrid eVTOL cargo aircraft.
The approval for a demonstration follows a contract to develop an uncrewed aircraft system to serve as a Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) prototype.
Providing Combat Sustainment
MARV-EL is a Navy and Marine Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program initiative designed to autonomously resupply forward-basing Marine Corps ground forces.
A joint press release from Leidos and Elroy Air described MARV-EL as an asset that provides combat sustainment when manned aviation or ground assets are unavailable because of weather, terrain, threat, or competing priorities.
When Is the Chaparral Test?
Leidos and Elroy Air plan to showcase the Chaparral at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona this July.
Chaparral Features
According to the companies, the Chaparral system combines wing-borne flight and turbo-generation to offer autonomous capabilities for extended-range missions. The prototype also features a carbon composite airframe and flexible automated cargo capabilities that aim to reduce required personnel and allow zero-touch logistics.
Leidos Senior Vice President Tim Freeman said that the approval is the culmination of months of work and that he expects Leidos’ and Elroy Air’s solution to provide a logistics advantage to military branches.
Image Credit: Leidos / Elroy Air
