The US Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded a contract worth more than $6 million to DZYNE Technologies to advance development of the Long-Range Grasshopper autonomous aerial resupply system.
The US Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded a contract worth more than $6 million to DZYNE Technologies to advance development of the Long-Range Grasshopper autonomous aerial resupply system.
The initiative focuses on improving the runway-independent unmanned aerial system to bring critical supplies across long distances in austere and remote domains.
It aligns with the military’s broader Agile Combat Employment strategy, designed to maintain crewed transport aircraft outside heavily defended zones while meeting logistics requirements.
Ondas Sentinel, the company's defense division augmented in July 2026, will carry out activities for the contract.
From Glider to Jet-Powered Delivery
The effort builds on a flight test campaign that demonstrated the Long-Range Grasshopper’s autonomous deployment, jet-engine air-start, and signal-denied navigation capabilities.
Modeled after an unpowered glider platform capable of transporting up to 500 pounds (227 kilograms) of payload, the new funding aims to improve the new aircraft’s flight endurance, modular payload capacity, and mass manufacturing.
The drone measures 160 inches (4 meters) in length, has a wingspan of 240 inches (6.1 meters), and uses a large portion of its fuselage as a cargo compartment.
"Long-range, low-cost autonomous delivery is a mission imperative for the future fight," said Ryan Hartman, CEO of Ondas Sentinel.
"With this technology and team now fully integrated into Ondas Sentinel, we are advancing a capability that directly strengthens resilient, distributed sustainment for contested operations."
