Drones for Urgent Combat Logistics
- John Moors
- Feb 17
- 3 min read
Autonomous cargo delivery in a military scenario is an exciting frontier in the battlespace. From long military campaigns to even single missions, the line of logistics can be the lifeline to troops in danger.
But logistics can be its own world. Who needs to plan out the routes? Decide when it's safe for a human-crewed helicopter to fly out to the front lines? How would these platforms deal with kinetic threats and electronic warfare?
Below are just a couple candidates and arguments for such integration.
KARGO
The U.S. Army and Marines have been testing out the KARGO, a "Heavy-Lift VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) craft to assist with this kind of challenge.¹ This system, a joint production between KAMAN and Near Earth Autonomy, ² can carry up to 800 lbs. over more than 100 miles.
But it's not just robust, it's intelligent. it can "self-deploy" beyond 500 nautical miles, can navigate autonomously even in GPS-denied environments, and can conduct precision landing. Sense-and-avoid capabilities are also onboard, making this an agile platform for a conflicted airspace.
Silent Arrow
The Silent Arrow is autonomous and disposable. Its design aims to support deployment in either military or humanitarian applications.
With a payload of 1,500 lbs (680kg) and 40 mile range (64kM), the aircraft has an impressive radius and capacity. ³
The speed and lower cost of such a model could make it a compelling alternative to more expensive, traditional methods.
Logistics & AI
Integrating advanced AI into logistics is of course no small task. The hardware (of those drones or otherwise) aside, just connecting information into an intelligent framework can be daunting. But the benefits could be impressive.
Be it analyzing an entire area of operations or which supply lines might need priority, the U.S. Army is considering the advantages AI could bring. This would also include predicting vehicle maintenance, which would reduce down-time as well as unexpected delays. ⁴
The Future
This field is of course developing very quickly. Along with many other AI endeavors, the software is being pushed to keep up with a changing battlefield. But logistics should absolutely be a top consideration for this evolution. And if we are developing it, it can be assumed that any near-peer adversary is doing the same.
What do you think would be the top threats to these drones in a jungle environment? (Please pick max 2)
Surface to Air Missiles (SAM)
Electronic Warfare (EW)
Small Arms (Enemy Combatants on the Ground)
Hostile Aircraft
You can vote for more than one answer.
¹ Freedberg, Sydney J. “From KMAX to KARGO: Army, Marines Test out New Support Drone.” Breaking Defense, 9 Oct. 2023, breakingdefense.com/2023/10/from-kmax-to-kargo-army-marines-test-out-new-support-drone/. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
² KAMAN. “U.S. Army Awards near Earth Autonomy and Kaman Air Vehicles Contract to Demonstrate Heavy Lift VTOL Capability.” Kaman Corporation, 5 Oct. 2023, kaman.com/u-s-army-awards-near-earth-autonomy-and-kaman-air-vehicles-contract-to-demonstrate-heavy-lift-vtol-capability/. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
³ AirforceTechnology.com. “Silent Arrow Cargo Delivery Drone, United States of America.” Airforce Technology, 18 Feb. 2020, www.airforce-technology.com/projects/silent-arrow-cargo-delivery-drone/?cf-view. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
⁴ Lacroix, Everett. “Future of Army Logistics | Exploiting AI, Overcoming Challenges, and Charting the Course Ahead.” Www.army.mil, 1 Aug. 2023, www.army.mil/article/267692/future_of_army_logistics_exploiting_ai_overcoming_challenges_and_charting_the_course_ahead.
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