By U.S. Marine Corps | April 18, 2023
Marine Corps Fight Growth and Integration lately demonstrated an revolutionary technique to move fight provides with the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Plane System (TRUAS) on the semi-annual Installations and Logistics Board (ILB) held right here.
On March 29 and 30, senior Marine Corps leaders and logisticians attending the ILB noticed the TRUAS, a big, drone-like plane, carry a payload over a brief distance, drop it at a specified location, and return to the start line. In accordance with Grasp Sgt. Chris Genualdi, an airborne and air supply specialist with Fight Growth and Integration the idea of utilizing a drone to move provides might sound easy, however the implications may have a big influence on fight provide transportation.
“TRUAS is designed to supply fast and warranted, extremely automated aerial distribution to small models working in contested environments; thereby enabling versatile and fast emergency resupply, routine distribution, and a continuing push and pull of fabric with a view to guarantee a continuing state of provide availability,” Genualdi defined.
Not like another drones, the TRUAS is very automated and never manually flown. As a substitute, it makes use of waypoint navigation for mission planning, which makes use of programmed coordinates to direct the plane’s flight sample. Genualdi says that the simplicity of working the TRUAS is such {that a} Marine with no expertise with unmanned plane techniques may be skilled to function and conduct discipline degree upkeep on it in simply 5 coaching days.
In accordance with Genualdi, this functionality permits for environment friendly tactical resupply missions for Marines in fight. The TRUAS which solely wants two Marines to function, is able to carrying a 150-pound payload of provides like batteries, medical provides, meals, and ammunition over a 9-mile vary.
When commenting on the demonstration, Genualdi thought it went nicely. “It was a really profitable evolution,” he mentioned “and many individuals who’ve heard of TRUAS have been in a position to see it in particular person.”
In accordance with Genualdi, the Marine Corps plans to create a Army Occupational Specialty for (Small Unmanned Logistics System – Air Specialist) wherein commanders can ship their Marines to their native Coaching and Logistics Assist Exercise to be skilled on TRUAS.
The utility of the TRUAS reaches past fight. Genualdi foresees its capabilities being extremely efficient in Humanitarian Help and Catastrophe Reduction efforts. In catastrophe areas that might not be accessible by standard means, the TRUAS may very well be used to move a lot wanted provides.
He additionally believes that is an innovation that may have an effect on greater than small scale resupply missions and its success at this degree will permit this expertise to be scaled to bigger platforms that will probably be vital within the strategic execution of Expeditionary Superior Base Operations.
Genualdi says the TRUAS is predicted to succeed in Preliminary Working Capability later this fall.
“It’s thrilling to be a part of the group offering future logistics capabilities to the long run working pressure,” Genualdi says.
