N. Auda
Rune Aero Inc., Georgia, United States
Keywords: Autonomous Logistics, Human-Supervised Autonomy, Hybrid-Electric Propulsion, Resilient Logistics, Contested Logistics
Future logistics operations will increasingly require the movement of personnel, supplies, and critical resources across geographically dispersed regions where infrastructure, communications, and supply chains may be degraded or contested. Existing logistics systems remain highly dependent on centralized infrastructure, pilot availability, and fuel-intensive operations, limiting scalability and operational resilience. Rune Aero is developing a resilient autonomous logistics platform that combines human-supervised autonomy, hybrid-electric propulsion, and mission-adaptive operations to enable distributed cargo transportation in contested and infrastructure-constrained environments. The approach integrates autonomous flight execution with operator-level supervision, allowing aircraft to perform routine flight functions while maintaining human oversight for mission management, contingency response, and operational decision-making. The platform’s hybrid-electric architecture improves mission efficiency while reducing fuel consumption and dependence on logistics support infrastructure. By combining autonomy and energy-aware operations within a single system architecture, the platform is designed to support scalable logistics operations without sacrificing the payload and range performance required for real-world missions. Potential applications include defense sustainment, distributed logistics, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and regional cargo operations. The work contributes to emerging requirements for resilient mobility solutions capable of supporting both military and commercial logistics networks.