Grid Aero launches with cargo drones designed for logistics in Indo-Pacific fight

The Air Force's small business innovation arm and startup Grid Aero are teaming up to test the company's autonomous cargo drones to carry "thousands of pounds for thousands of miles," according to a press release the company issued Monday.

“We’re building the pickup truck of the skies,” Grid Aero CEO Arthur Dubois said in a statement about the company’s effort through AFWERX. “This is a rugged, mission-flexible aircraft that combines autonomy with tough, modular hardware. The shift from massive, expensive platforms to distributed fleets of smart, affordable systems is long overdue -- and essential for the future of global logistics.”

Grid Aero’s Lifter-Lite aircraft was designed and built in just six months, the company said. The platform was unveiled on Aug. 18 alongside $6 million in seed funding and a small business innovation research Phase II contract with AFWERX.

The concept behind the cargo drone is “to address the tactical logistics challenges of distributed operations in a contested environment” like the Indo-Pacific, the company said, adding that traditional military logistic platforms are less affordable and becoming increasingly vulnerable.

For the Air Force, the ability to deploy an affordable mass of autonomous cargo drones might help solve the logistics challenges of Agile Combat Employment -- the Air Force’s schema to disperse airmen and assets around hub and spoke installations in hostile environments.

“The awarded contract reflects the need for affordable, scalable, autonomous cargo solutions that can operate reliably in contested and denied environments where traditional military logistics platforms face significant risks,” Grid Aero said in its news release.