In early May, Aurora’s Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System (AACUS) successfully delivered cargo to U.S. Marines in the Integrated Training Exercise at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California.

According to Aurora Flight Sciences, AACUS completed its first closed loop mission from takeoff to landing for its intended purpose of actual cargo resupply to Marines, as it successfully completed an autonomous cargo sustainment flight delivering more than 500 pounds of water, gasoline, MREs, and replacement communications gear including a packed cooler to represent urgently required cargo such as blood.

Aurora says that this was the first ever “autonomous point-to-point cargo resupply mission” providing critical logistics support to Marines in need.

“Aurora is building autonomous systems that will enable tomorrow’s intelligent aircraft,” says John Langford, Aurora’s founder and CEO. “Whether it’s protecting Marines in combat or providing accessible urban transportation, autonomy is the key to the future of aerospace.”

The AACUS-enabled UH-1H helicopter was developed under the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) Innovative Naval Prototype program. The aircraft can fly completely autonomously thanks to a variety of technologies, including its onboard sensors, advanced computers and intelligent algorithms to plan its trajectory and to select its own landing sites in unmapped and hazardous environments.

“The AACUS program exceeded all of our expectations,” says Dennis Baker, AACUS PM. “The team delivered on each of the ambitious technical performance goals, on schedule and under budget.”

The American Helicopter Society selected Aurora’s AACUS program for its Howard Hughes Award in recognition of an “outstanding improvement in fundamental helicopter technology brought to fruition in the previous 18 months.” On May 16, the AACUS team received recognition at the Grand Awards Banquet during AHS’s 74th Annual Forum & Technology Display in Phoenix, Arizona. Earlier, AACUS was presented an AUVSI Xcellence Award at the Xponential conference and exhibition in Denver.