The US military may have a new leg up on China in the Pacific

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Elroy Air CEO says his new plane could give U.S. edge in the Pacific

Dave Merrill, CEO and co-founder of Elroy Air, told Fox News Digital about an autonomous cargo delivery system that would give the U.S. military a leg up against China.

The Department of Defense could use an advanced drone delivery service to give the military an advantage against China as tensions escalate overseas, a California aerospace technology head told Fox News Digital. 

"Rising competition and the potential for conflict with the People's Republic of China, should they invade Taiwan, creates this urgency to make sure that if the U.S. needs to go and operate more actively in the Pacific, we're ready to do that," Elroy Air CEO and co-founder Dave Merrill said.

Elroy Air demonstrated its autonomous cargo delivery service at Travis Air Force Base last year, boasting a system "broadening the realm of the possible for military logistics," the company announced in an October press release. The aircraft, known as the Chaparral, aims to safely and efficiently deliver essential supplies for global military operations, which the Pentagon has expressed interest in using for potential conflicts in the Pacific, Merrill told Fox News Digital. 

California-based Elroy Air demonstrated its autonomous cargo delivery service at Travis Air Force Base last year. The technology could give the U.S. military a leg up in potential conflicts in the Pacific, according to Elroy Air CEO and co-founder Dave Merrill. (Courtesy: Elroy Air)

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"One of the things that we're going to need to do in a competition, in a competitive environment, is to deliver logistics to a lot of places around the Pacific," Merrill said. 

"A logistics network that is resilient, that is no risk to people, is an urgent operational need, and so the message from the Pentagon when we go and visit and meet is how quickly can we get systems to be ready for operations out in the Pacific," he continued. 

On April 23, former Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command Admiral John C. Aquilino said China's increased military spending was "concerning." Aquilino, who left his position Friday, also noted China's increasingly aggressive rhetoric and actions, specifically the threats against Taiwan.

Admiral John C. Aquilino, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, said China's increased military spending despite its failing economy was concerning.  (Reuters/Caroline Chia/File Photo)

"Despite a failing economy, there's a conscious decision to fund military capability. That's concerning to me," Aquilino said. "As it applies specifically to Taiwan, I am watching an increasingly aggressive campaign plan of coercion and pressure."

Merrill told Fox News Digital that Elroy Air's Chaparral technology would increase capabilities for commercial shippers, provide immediate aid in disaster situations and offer rapid resupply for U.S. military troops in the field. 

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"That solves the problem of operational resupply tempo, and it solves the problem of risk to life for troops in the battlefield," Merrill said. "That's really where we're focusing our efforts … to make sure that our Chaparral aircraft creates this zero risk, always on, always available fleet of resupply drones that can take beans and bullets, can take cargo in the battlefield to exactly where it needs to go without putting any troops at risk."

Dave Merrill, CEO and co-founder of Elroy Air, said his company's autonomous delivery service would increase capabilities for commercial shippers, provide immediate aid in disaster situations and offer rapid resupply for military troops in the field.  (Fox News Digital)

The Chaparral can carry 300 pounds over 300 miles and won't need to use airports or runways for takeoff and landing, Merrill said. The aircraft could also benefit humanitarian shippers looking to get goods in and out of places that are hard to reach, he added.

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"This is a way to get food, food supplements, blankets, goods that are needed from one place to another with no risk at all to a pilot or crew, and at a scale that's hard to achieve with existing legacy aircraft," Merrill told Fox News Digital. 

DOD did not respond to a request for comment. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.