U.S. Marine Corps orders SAFE MULE loaders

The U.S. Marine Corps is buying a small tracked cargo loader that can pick a fully loaded 4,500 kg (10,000-pound) air cargo pallet off the ground and still fit inside an MV-22 Osprey, under a contract worth more than $10 million to Las Vegas-based S.A.F.E. Structure Designs.

The company announced the award for its SAFE MULE expeditionary logistics platform on Oct. 13 in a press release, describing it as an initial, low-quantity order that includes operator training and ongoing technical support. SAFE did not say how many vehicles the U.S. Marine Corps is buying, which command placed the order, or when deliveries will begin, and it said talks are underway on a larger purchase expected in 2027, subject to final requirements, funding and procurement decisions.

The machine is built around the 463L pallet, the standard aluminum cargo pallet U.S. military aircraft use to move supplies. A loaded 463L tops out at about 10,000 pounds, and the SAFE MULE is designed to lift one from the ground onto its own deck and drive away with it, a job that at most forward sites would otherwise call for a forklift and a separate truck or a large aircraft loader that may not be available.

“The engineering challenge was to deliver substantial lifting capability without creating a machine too heavy to travel with the force it supports,” said Johnny Buscema, president and CEO of SAFE Structure Designs.

According to the company, the loader is light enough to ride inside a V-22 and can also be carried in the aft ramp position of a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport. Its adjustable cargo deck has built-in rollers so pallets can slide straight across to an aircraft floor or a truck bed, while rubber tracks let it move loads across unimproved ground where wheeled forklifts struggle.

A 2024 company technical sheet described an earlier configuration that weighed roughly 2,950 to 3,080 kg (6,500 to 6,800 pounds), was operated remotely by a single person and could work in mud, water or snow up to 61 cm (24 inches) deep. The same document listed a scissor deck able to raise more than 10,000 pounds to 165 cm (65 inches) and a towing capacity of over 10,000 pounds.

The version going to the U.S. Marine Corps uses non-radio-frequency controls, so it can be operated without a wireless control link. SAFE said that matters around ammunition and ordnance, where units limit radio emissions near explosives, though handling specific loads still depends on military safety rules and approvals.

SAFE announced in March 2026 that it had finished research and development on the SAFE MULE and moved it into production, presenting it as a platform for U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force logistics. The company’s other work includes aircraft maintenance stands and specialized military support equipment.