Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced that it was selected by Near Earth Autonomy (Near Earth) as a partner on the prototyping of an autonomous Bell 505 for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) Increment 2 program. The goal of the program is to prototype an uncrewed logistics aircraft ready for tactical-edge resupply in contested environments and serve as a middle-weight uncrewed logistics asset. The awarded contract will deliver an autonomous aerial logistics capability that exceeds MARV-EL performance threshold requirements and accommodates a wide range of payloads and standard containers. Bell will provide engineering support to the Near Earth team on modifications to the Bell 505 for autonomy integration and enhanced cargo handling.
“This platform will be a step forward in transforming the U.S. Marine Corps’ autonomous operations and how our warfighters navigate on the battlefield,” said Jason Hurst, Bell SVP, Engineering. “We’re leveraging our decades of experience with the U.S. Armed Forces and innovative product development applying it to the versatile Bell 505 for this program.”
“Bell looks forward to continuing to build upon our relationship and prior autonomy development with Near Earth in support of the MARV-EL program,” added Hurst.
In 2024, Bell revealed its Aircraft Laboratory for Future Autonomy (ALFA) platform – a step forward in its autonomous flight efforts. Developed by Bell’s Advanced Programs team, ALFA is dedicated to performing flight maneuvers with an aircraft safety system and executing autonomous fly-by-wire flights. The fly-by-wire integration was a critical step in future development of autonomous controls for Bell’s commercial aircraft, an emerging technology that aims to reduce pilot workload and enhance safety. Bell and Near Earth collaborated to integrate an advanced perception system for flight demonstrations on the ALFA aircraft, working towards fully autonomous flight capability. ALFA’s aircraft safety system separates safety functions from flight control functions, allowing for rapid development and evaluation of novel flight control technology without compromising overall safety.
Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, United States and commercial helicopters in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. The company was founded on July 10, 1935, as Bell Aircraft Corporation by Lawrence Dale Bell in Buffalo, New York. Textron purchased Bell Aerospace in 1960. In January 1976, Textron changed the division’s name to Bell Helicopter Textron. The company was rebranded as “Bell” on February 22, 2018. Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training.
