Lightweight and Airworthy 463L Cargo Loader for Austere Environments

The United States Air Force (USAF, DAF) seeks an innovative Material Handling Equipment (MHE) capability that can lift, load, unload, and transport full-sized, fully loaded 463L pallets/ containers from cargo planes in varying environments and across austere terrain. The system should weigh less than 10,000 lbs. and only occupy one full 463L pallet position while being transported on an aircraft such as the C-130. Currently there is no system that combines these features for loading/ unloading palletized cargo in tactical/austere environments. This capability gap results in a reliance on manpower and MacGyver-type hacks for unloading tasks in undeveloped locations. Current cargo operations in remote or austere locations without proper MHE also leads to blocked runways and damage to pallets and cargo. In some cases, traditional 10K forklifts are transported into these environments but must be disassembled for transport, divided across three 463L pallets to meet aircraft cargo requirements, and must be reassembled on-site before use. Because of these reasons, manual handling of cargo is time intensive and requires extended periods that an aircraft is on the ground in the Landing Zone (LZ) which increases exposure of personnel and the aircraft. The creation of a novel MHE platform that addresses each of these shortcomings would be a significant improvement for cargo operations as it would greatly reduce the burden on warfighters in the field to move pallets and containers in/out of supplying aircraft. In response to this need, Stratom proposes to create a novel cargo mover that weighs considerably less than 10,000 pounds, fits into a single 463L cargo pallet position on an aircraft, and can transport pallets and containers weighing up to 11,720 pounds between aircraft cargo ramps and dunnage to fulfill the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) requirements. Compared to existing fielded MHE with similar payload capacities and complicated / unorthodox cargo unloading techniques, the result of the Phase II would be the delivery of a vehicle that is safer and lighter weight that reduces cycle times for aircraft and personnel and saves cost by freeing up additional pallet spaces in aircraft. These benefits can save the US Air Force and its customers significant time and money for cargo logistics between aircraft, aerial ports, and Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in support of Agile Combat Employment (ACE). Such a solution would directly address the USAF Operational Imperative 5: Resilient Basing because a highly-transportable system enhances the Air Forceĺs ability to operate across a large number of disparate and isolated locations.