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    Aurora test new capabilities for Marines

    Aurora test new capabilities for Marines

    Photo By Sgt. Julien Rodarte | Aurora flight sciences tests its newly updated Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System...... read more read more

    BEALETON, VA, UNITED STATES

    05.25.2016

    Story by Lance Cpl. Julien Rodarte 

    Defense Media Activity - Marines

    The AACUS is an autonomy applique kit that enables operations of full-scale rotary-wing aircraft in and out of austere landing zones, tactically, with little human assistance.

    “We know how to make things fly, we’ve been doing it for over 100 years,” said Retired Brig. Gen. Frank Kelley, formerly the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Unmanned Systems. “What we don’t yet know how to do, is how to couple aircraft and autonomous systems together, but great programs like this are helping us get there.”

    Aurora is determined to find a way to make a safer, easier way to complete flight missions in a combat environment through the AACUS.

    “The AACUS is a sensor package that when installed on an aircraft allows for it to be unmanned,” said Capt. Christopher Alfaro, MAGTF logistics integration officer, logistics division and strategy branch, Headquarters Marine Corps. “Which means we can put this kit on any aircraft and as long as we do the science and engineering behind it, it can fly autonomously.”

    AACUS enables a warfighter to control the aircraft via an intuitive application on military issued tablets.

    “This system is going to allow pilots to let the system do the risky jobs,” said Maj. Jason Jewell an osprey pilot with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 774, Marine Aircraft Group 49, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing. “By this time next year we should be flying with the AACUS on the UH-1H.”

    Aurora says they plan on testing the capabilities of the program on a UH-1H aircraft from 2017 to early 2018 and plan to implement this technology into the Marine Corps fleet sometime in 2018.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.25.2016
    Date Posted: 05.27.2016 14:41
    Story ID: 199326
    Location: BEALETON, VA, US

    Web Views: 205
    Downloads: 1

    PUBLIC DOMAIN