U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) conducted a tactical resupply drill on May 8, testing an unmanned aerial system designed to deliver critical supplies to remote locations.
The exercise marked another step toward integrating unmanned logistics into forward operations in the Indo-Pacific.
The system, known as the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System (TRUAS), is a Class 3 drone capable of autonomously transporting water, ammunition, and gear to frontline units.
During the demonstration, Marines loaded TRUAS with water and equipment before deploying it to a simulated forward position under field conditions.
According to the U.S. Marine Corps, TRUAS is designed to meet the growing need for responsive, low-risk supply delivery in contested and austere environments. The system is part of a broader push by the Department of Defense to incorporate unmanned systems into expeditionary logistics operations.
The 31st MEU is the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed unit, tasked with responding to crises across the Indo-Pacific. Its mission aligns with the National Defense Strategy’s call for agile, distributed forces capable of operating across all domains.
Exercises like this one, held as part of a broader MEU Exercise (MEUEX), allow the unit to validate and refine its capabilities ahead of upcoming deployments. The inclusion of TRUAS adds a new dimension to the MEU’s logistics toolkit, supporting both combat and humanitarian operations.