Marine Corps to advance unmanned logistics drone through OTA process

The Marine Corps will move ahead with plans to prototype a large cargo-carrying unmanned aircraft using the other transaction authority (OTA) process, according to recent updates to a preexisting request for information.

Naval Air Systems Command initially posted the RFI in early June on the Marine Corps’ behalf, indicating the services were interested in prototyping this system -- dubbed the Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A) -- starting in fiscal year 2026.

The notice seeks industry sources capable of rapidly developing and delivering an unmanned aircraft that can carry a payload of at least 1,300 pounds over a minimum travel radius of 100 nautical miles.

Additional system requirements include autonomous operations with 10-meter navigation accuracy and the ability to take off and land on aviation-capable ships in varied environments and weather conditions, the notice states.

Recent updates to the notice indicate ULS-A must connect and pass data to the Marine Air-Ground Tablet “as the computing device with undefined software integrated with the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) plug-in.”