Navy Selects Near Earth Autonomy for Resilient Maritime UAS Logistics Program

The work aims to advance U.S. Marine Corps uncrewed logistics missions in contested maritime environments.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 7:34am

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The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has awarded Near Earth Autonomy Inc. a contract to develop an aircraft-agnostic autonomy solution for ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship operations. The work is intended to improve operational resilience for naval forces by enabling uncrewed aircraft to conduct logistics missions without dependence on external infrastructure like GPS and communications.

Why it matters

Most uncrewed aircraft systems rely on satellite navigation and continuous data links for operation, which can be degraded or denied in contested maritime environments. This contract with Near Earth Autonomy aims to overcome these limitations and improve the Navy's ability to perform resilient, reliable maritime operations across aircraft.

The details

Near Earth Autonomy's Firefly compact autonomy system is designed to integrate with a range of aircraft, particularly Group 3 and Group 4 uncrewed systems. The system incorporates onboard perception and navigation using lidar, infrared sensors, and high-definition cameras, along with embedded processing to enable autonomous flight, landing, and recovery. Under the contract, Near Earth Autonomy will mature capabilities such as autonomous confined-area landings, shipboard recovery in emissions-controlled environments, and navigation without GPS.

  • The contract was awarded in March 2026.
  • The program will include a series of test events culminating in a final demonstration at Patuxent River, Md., in September 2026.

The players

Near Earth Autonomy Inc.

A Pittsburgh-based company that develops autonomous systems, including the Firefly compact autonomy system.

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)

The U.S. Navy command that awarded the contract to Near Earth Autonomy.

U.S. Marine Corps

The intended beneficiary of the uncrewed logistics missions in contested maritime environments.

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What they’re saying

“This contract with the Navy is a key next step, maturing our autonomous systems performance for maritime missions. We will build upon our past work on compact systems for uncrewed aerial logistics. This effort supports the Navy's ability to perform resilient, reliable maritime operations across aircraft.”

— Sanjiv Singh, CEO of Near Earth Autonomy

What’s next

The program will include a series of test events to validate system performance and operational concepts, culminating in a final demonstration at Patuxent River, Md., in September 2026. Planned demonstrations include ship search, deck tracking, night operations, and autonomous flight between moving vessels.

The takeaway

This contract with Near Earth Autonomy represents a significant step forward in the Navy's efforts to develop resilient, autonomous logistics capabilities for maritime operations, which are critical in contested environments where traditional navigation and communication infrastructure may be compromised.