Honeywell has announced a strategic investment and collaboration with Near Earth Autonomy (Near Earth) to support multiple autonomous rotorcraft program pursuits, including the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC). Honeywell is teaming with Near Earth, which has been selected by the USMC to lead one of the teams demonstrating optimized logistics using rotorcraft, through an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) under the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium (NASC). In the ALC program, Leonardo Helicopters, Near Earth and Honeywell will showcase uncrewed rotorcraft capabilities for contested environments on Leonardo’s AW139 helicopter.

The agreement will help accelerate the development of autonomous flight and supports Honeywell’s portfolio alignment to three compelling megatrends: the future of aviation, automation and the energy transition.

"Uncrewed aircraft are a vital means of keeping service men and women out of harm’s way in contested environments. But they must also be advanced enough to reliably and efficiently perform their missions, even in GPS-denied environments. Together with Near Earth, we’re seeking to advance the reliability and functionality of autonomous technology and build products that support autonomous operations globally,” said Matt Milas, President, Defense & Space, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “By focusing on retrofitting existing platforms we’ll be able to deliver rapid, scalable solutions.”

The ALC program will leverage the extensive collective aviation expertise of the three companies to deliver advanced autonomy solutions, enabling uncrewed operation of rotorcraft for logistics and casualty evacuation missions for the USMC. This initiative, part of the USMC Aerial Logistics Connector program, focuses on developing an unmanned logistics system to provide support in contested environments, with operational aircraft targeted by 2030. Honeywell and Near Earth aim to help deploy these solutions rapidly and at scale.

“The ALC program is focused on achieving assured autonomy on an unprecedented scale,” said Sanjiv Singh, CEO of Near Earth. “We are excited to partner with Honeywell, a leader in avionics and flight control, to create a comprehensive system for aerial logistics that can rapidly be put into commonplace use.”

“Leonardo Helicopters is excited to introduce the USMC to the world-class AW139 helicopter for this next-generation FVL mission,” said Scott Volkert, Dir. of USMC Programs for Leonardo Helicopters.

This collaboration with Near Earth allows Honeywell to explore additional opportunities for rotorcraft and UAS beyond the USMC initiative.