US Transportation Command awarded Stratom a four-year contract to develop an autonomous system for moving heavy cargo at military airfields.
US Transportation Command has awarded Stratom a four-year contract to further develop an autonomous system for moving heavy cargo at military airfields and forward operating locations.
The contract was awarded under the Small Business Innovation Research Phase III program and will be managed by Air Force CyberWorx, with US Central Command, the US Marine Corps, and the US Air Force contributing to the system’s development and testing.
Building on earlier research and prototype tests, the project will move the Autonomous Pallet Loader toward operational evaluation and possible deployment.
The US military currently relies on trained personnel and large crewed vehicles to load and transport heavy cargo.
According to Stratom, such equipment can be difficult to deploy and maintain at temporary airfields, expeditionary bases, and other locations with limited infrastructure.
The autonomous loader is intended to reduce these requirements by performing some cargo-handling tasks under human supervision.
Personnel would assign the system objectives rather than direct each movement individually.
The loader would then perform the required tasks within predefined safety limits.
Expanding Autonomous Operations
The Autonomous Pallet Loader can be transported inside CH-53K King Stallion helicopters and C-130 Hercules aircraft.
During previous testing, a prototype loaded and unloaded a military cargo pallet weighing up to 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms).
The new project will expand the types of cargo the system can handle.
Planned additions include standard wooden pallets and large munitions from the Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions.
Stratom will also develop the loader’s ability to maneuver around aircraft and within confined areas.
