The U.S. Air Force will research and develop rocket technology to be used to transport military cargo to bases globally.
“Rocket Cargo,” the fourth initiative in its Vanguard program seeking to research and advance the service’s technological capabilities, will be led by the Space Force and could “fundamentally alter the rapid logistics landscape,” according to one of the service’s senior officers.
The Air Force Research Laboratory will research how the military could employ the technology, including the ability of rockets to land on nontraditional surfaces and remote sites. Researchers will also determine whether cargo rockets can safely land near service personnel and other structures.
Other research and engineering initiatives within the program will consider how to develop a rocket cargo bay that can rapidly load and unload materials and how to airdrop cargo to serve locations where military vehicles are unable to land.
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“The Rocket Cargo Vanguard is a clear example of how the Space Force is developing innovative solutions as a service, in particular the ability to provide independent options in, from, and to space,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond in a press release. “Once realized, Rocket Cargo will fundamentally alter the rapid logistics landscape, connecting materiel to joint warfighters in a fraction of the time it takes today. In the event of conflict or humanitarian crisis, the Space Force will be able to provide our national leadership with an independent option to achieve strategic objectives from space.”
The Air Force specified in its 2022 budget outlook that its hope for the estimated $47.9 million program is “to leverage a commercial rocket to deliver [Air Force] cargo anywhere on the Earth in less than one hour, with a 100-ton capacity.”
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“About five years ago, when we brought this [idea] on board, honestly, a lot of people looked at me and went, ‘Are you nuts?’” said retired Air Force Gen. Carlton Everhart.
“It’s a game changer, and I think it opens up a huge amount of avenues for logistics and new logistics systems, which further opens up avenues for jobs and the economy,” Everhart added.
