TB2 Aerospace Demonstrates Autonomous DROPS-Enabled Cargo Delivery to Establish and Secure Airfield Perimeter

TB2 Achieves Key Milestone with Successful Demonstration for the U.S. Air Force 820th Base Defense Group

GOLDEN, CO, UNITED STATES, June 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- TB2 Aerospace, a manufacturer of universal docking and payload solutions for autonomous vehicles, today announced that it has demonstrated to the U.S. Air Force 820 th Base Defense Group the capabilities of unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) equipped with the company’s Drone Recharging Operational Payload System (DROPS^®) and cargo Pods^® to support the rapid deployment, sustainment and defense of airfield perimeter operations. DROPS-enabled UAVs demonstrated the efficiency, security, cost-effectiveness, and safety of autonomous delivery of critical payloads for airmen securing airfields in contested environments.

TB2 Aerospace’s DROPS standardized, modular docking and locking system enables unmanned UAS of any size to autonomously locate, identify, capture, and recover a variety of payloads without human involvement.

“The ability to quickly and efficiently deliver tactical supplies and equipment like ISR ground sensors, ammunition, batteries, radios, water, MREs, and other supplies to servicemen securing an airfield in contested environments is a foundational part of the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine,” said TB2 Aerospace Founder and CEO Hank Scott. “Automation via DROPS-enabled autonomous vehicles is a big step forward for ACE. DROPS offers the DoW a standardized modular cargo solution for a variety of payloads, making autonomous delivery and resupply in contested environments easier, more cost-effective, more secure, and safer for servicemen.”

The successful flight tests took place at Colorado State University Christman Airfield, where DROPS-equipped Draganfly™ Commander 3XL Group 2 UAVs delivered 22 lb. payloads stored in TB2 Aerospace Pods to secure capture points around the airfield. The demonstration is a key deliverable in TB2 Aerospace’s AFWERX Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II contract with research institution partner Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles (RECUV) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, to autonomously establish and replenish an austere airfield.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal-to-award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business, and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.

About TB2 Aerospace

TB2 Aerospace designs and manufactures universal, interoperable capture systems and payload Pods that turn any unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) or unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) into multi-mission capable systems. TB2’s standardized, drone-agnostic Drone Recharging Operational Payload System (DROPS) multi-mission payload system and flexible DROPS-enabled cargo Pods automate and simplify the process of locating, identifying, capturing, delivering, and recovering a variety of payloads – without human intervention – eliminating a critical barrier to the effectiveness and wider adoption of
autonomous vehicles in support of defense, commercial logistics, and first responder operations. For more information, please visit www.tb2aerospace.com.  

About AFWERX

As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian, and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,100 new contracts worth more than $4 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.

John Sommerfield
TB2 Aerospace
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