Unmanned supply helicopter demonstrated
Lockheed Martin and Kaman Aerospace have demonstrated to the Army and Marine Corps the feasibility of transporting supplies to ground troops by an unmanned helicopter.
During 45 minutes of operation at Fort Eustis, Va., an unmanned K-MAX helicopter demonstrated autonomous takeoff and landing, pickup and delivery of a 3,000-pound sling load, and the ability to autonomously re-plan and detour from its designated route to accommodate changes to mission requirements and battlefield threats. The demonstration also illustrated the ability of a single ground operator to use spoken and data commands to control the aircraft through data links, perform precision maneuvers at the pickup or drop zones, and easily transfer control to another ground operator for maximum interoperability.