Textron, Merlin offer unmanned Cessna Skycourier for Pacific island resupply

Installing the Merlin Labs AI on the Cessna Skycourier allows removing the cockpit entirely and replacing it with a forward loading ramp. (Textron/Merlin Labs image)

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Aerospace conglomerate Textron and artificial intelligence firm Merlin Labs have unveiled a new unmanned aircraft concept to kickstart conversation about Pacific logistics , the companies announced today.

The companies’ proposal would take Textron’s Cessna Skycourier and remove the cockpit altogether, replacing it with a flip-up nose for easier automated loading and a Merlin Pilot AI to fly the plane. The Skycourier’s capabilities — three tons of payload, a thousand miles of range and ability to operate from austere airstrips only half a mile long — make it an ideal low-cost complement to the much larger cargo aircraft in the Air Force’s current fleet, the companies argue, especially for supplying scattered island outposts in the Pacific.

“The aircraft’s being operated from literally from the Arctic to the Amazon. There are three different island nations in the Pacific that have airline fleets of them,” said Bobb Gibbs , Textron’ s vice president for spe cial missions and defense, in a conversation with reporters. “They land in gravel, grass, whatever you need.”

RELATED: AI flight software maker Merlin set to go public

Admittedly, SkyCourier can’t replace existing Air Force transports: Its thousand-mile range won’t get it from Guam to Manila, for instance. But retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Kyle Kremer, a member of Merlin Labs’ advisory board, argued that it could complement them, filling a vital niche distributing supplies from major hubs to small and scattered island outposts.

“The benefits of this come in … through the ability to disperse the forces amongst the Second Island Chain, [e.g.] Palau, Tinian, Saipan, pick your various islands,” Kremer told reporters today . “We can’t devote C-130s and C-17s to do a lot of these little shuttle missions, [so] that’s where you’re going to need smaller platforms.”

The unmanned aircraft would also allow the Air Force to preserve its human pilots for the long-haul missions, Kremer argued.

Merlin and Textron could further offer an optionally manned version, with both a cockpit and an AI pilot, added Merlin Labs CEO and Founder Matt George. Merlin’s AI can fly a range of other aircraft, he noted, including Textron’s Cessna Caravan and King Air .

The Skycourier itself is modular, with passenger, cargo, and air-ambulance configurations, Gibbs said, and the companies are happy to hear feedback from the military on desirable modifications.

Despite years of discussion on “ contested logistics ” for future wars, Gibbs said, “I don’t feel like the Department of War has really made that step forward to say, okay, we’re going to solve this. They keep asking us to bring them rocks, and what we’re doing here is saying [we] literally could get you an airplane tomorrow.”

在塞斯纳Skycourier飞机上安装Merlin Labs人工智能系统后，可以完全拆除驾驶舱，并用前置装卸坡道取而代之。（图片来自Textron/Merlin Labs）

马里兰州国家港——航空航天集团德事隆和人工智能公司默林实验室今天宣布，他们推出了一种新的无人机概念，旨在引发关于太平洋物流的讨论。

这些公司的方案将以德事隆公司的塞斯纳Skycourier飞机为基础，彻底移除驾驶舱，取而代之的是一个可翻转的机头，以便更便捷地进行自动化装载，并配备梅林Pilot人工智能系统来操控飞机。这些公司认为，Skycourier飞机具备三吨有效载荷、一千英里航程以及在仅半英里长的简易跑道上起降的能力，使其成为空军现有大型货运飞机的理想低成本补充，尤其适用于向太平洋上分散的岛屿前哨基地运送物资。

“这些飞机的航线覆盖范围非常广泛，从北极到亚马逊都有。太平洋地区有三个岛国拥有自己的航空公司机队，”德事隆公司负责特种任务和国防的副总裁鲍勃·吉布斯在与记者交谈时表示。“它们可以在碎石地、草地上降落，任何你需要的地面都能起降。”

相关报道：人工智能飞行软件制造商 Merlin 即将上市

诚然，SkyCourier无法取代现有的空军运输机：例如，其1000英里的航程无法从关岛抵达马尼拉。但梅林实验室顾问委员会成员、退役空军少将凯尔·克雷默认为，SkyCourier可以作为现有运输机的补充，填补从主要枢纽向分散的小型岛屿前哨基地运送物资这一重要空白。

克雷默今天告诉记者：“这样做的好处在于……可以将兵力分散部署在第二岛链上，例如帕劳、提尼安岛、塞班岛等等，你可以选择任何一个岛屿。”他补充道：“我们不可能用C-130和C-17运输机执行这么多小型穿梭任务，所以这就需要小型平台了。”

克雷默认为，无人机还可以让空军保留飞行员，用于执行远程任务。

Merlin Labs首席执行官兼创始人马特·乔治补充说，Merlin和Textron还可以进一步提供可选有人驾驶版本，该版本既有驾驶舱，也有人工智能飞行员。他指出，Merlin的人工智能可以驾驶多种其他飞机，包括Textron的Cessna Caravan和King Air。

吉布斯表示，Skycourier 本身是模块化的，有乘客、货物和空中救护配置，两家公司都乐于听取军方对理想改进方案的反馈。

尽管多年来一直在讨论未来战争中的“后勤保障问题”，吉布斯说：“我觉得战争部并没有真正迈出那一步，说，好吧，我们要解决这个问题。他们一直要求我们给他们送石头，而我们现在所做的是说，我们明天就能给你送来一架飞机。”