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An innovative group of engineers is designing and building a futuristic aircraft in a small airfield near the US capital. The engineering firm, Aurora Flight Sciences, hosted a visit from the US military Research Laboratory aerospace engineers recently. Earlier this summer, officials from the company visited the Army’s research facilities at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Aurora is focused on the development and manufacturing of advanced unmanned systems and aerospace vehicles.

“The things that Aurora knows how to do fit the Army’s needs in terms of performance, range, payload. Those kinds of performance characteristics are what the Army needs,” Dr. John Wissler, director of advanced projects at Aurora, told army.mil.

The Army hopes to achieve cutting-edge capabilities for vertical lift platforms. To achieve this, the researchers said they’re interested in building a collaborative relationship with Aurora.

The DOD has already invested funding in Aurora’s unique technologies. In 2016, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), awarded Aurora a contract to build a prototype of its LightningStrike aircraft, an unmanned, hybrid propulsion aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing.

The Army engineers also saw another Aurora project for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps designed to create an autonomous flight system that can be retrofitted to existing aircrafts. The system would give a Marine on the ground “the ability to request a supply delivery via helicopter, which flies to their location with minimal human assistance and autonomously land in an austere, possibly hostile landing zone,” according to Aurora officials. “I think we’re best known for unmanned aviation, in particular we’re integrating advanced aircraft designs with autonomy to create new kinds of capabilities for the nation,” Wissler said.