Bell to Provide Bell 505 Airframe for U.S. Marine Corps’ MARV-EL Program
Photo Credit: Bell
FORT WORTH, Texas, May 1, 2026 (TECH INFO SCENE) — Aerospace and defense company Bell Textron Inc. has been selected by Near Earth Autonomy to support the U.S. Marine Corps’ Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) Increment 2 program.
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Under the partnership, Bell will provide the Bell 505 airframe and engineering support to assist in prototyping an autonomous version of the aircraft. The program aims to develop an uncrewed aerial logistics platform capable of supporting tactical resupply operations in contested environments.
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The contract will deliver an autonomous aerial logistics capability designed to exceed MARV-EL performance threshold requirements and support a range of payloads and standard containers. Bell will work with Near Earth Autonomy to integrate autonomy systems and enhance cargo handling capabilities on the Bell 505 platform.
“This platform will be a step forward in transforming the U.S. Marine Corps’ autonomous operations and how our warfighters navigate on the battlefield. We’re leveraging our decades of experience with the U.S. Armed Forces and innovative product development applying it to the versatile Bell 505 for this program,” said Jason Hurst, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Bell.
“Bell looks forward to continuing to build upon our relationship and prior autonomy development with Near Earth in support of the MARV-EL program,” Hurst added.
In 2024, Bell introduced its Aircraft Laboratory for Future Autonomy (ALFA) platform to advance its autonomous flight initiatives. Bell and Near Earth previously collaborated on integrating advanced perception systems for flight demonstrations as part of those efforts.
Bell is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., a multi-industry company with aviation, defense, and industrial operations.
For more information, visit www.bellflight.com.
Source: Bell Textron Inc.
