Airbus U.S. Space and Defense says the Lakota Connector, its uncrewed and autonomous adaptation of the UH-72B Lakota, is progressing through development and testing. The Lakota Connector is being evaluated under Team Lakota Connector for a U.S. Marine Corps prototyping effort that brings together Shield AI, L3Harris Technologies, and Parry Labs.
Lakota Connector development and partners
According to Airbus U.S., the ongoing work focuses on maturing autonomous logistics for contested environments using the Lakota airframe as a cargo platform. The company notes that Team Lakota Connector is integrating autonomy, communications, and mission systems from its industry partners as part of the prototyping phase for the Marine Corps.
Marine Corps logistics need
At the AUSA 2026 trade event in Washington, D.C., Airbus U.S. representative Carl Forsling, a former U.S. Marine Corps CH-46 Sea Knight and MV-22 Osprey pilot, discussed the growing requirement for uncrewed aerial logistics in contested theaters and outlined next steps for Team Lakota Connector.
The growing requirement for uncrewed aerial logistics in contested theaters aligns with broader U.S. military experimentation, including efforts to arm and adapt small drones for battlefield roles, such as those detailed in Vector Nammo partnership expands to arm small military drones.