Marines’ unmanned cargo copter on duty in Afghanistan
- By Defense Systems Staff
- Dec 20, 2011
The Marine Corps flew its first combat supply mission with an unmanned helicopter on Dec. 17 in Afghanistan, reports David Axe at Wired’s Danger Room blog.
The unmanned Kaman K-MAX successfully transported a sling-load of cargo to an unspecified base, most likely in a remote part of southwestern Afghanistan, according to the blog. The K-MAX, which is guided by Global Positioning System technology, can haul 3.5 tons of cargo about 250 miles.
In addition to the Marines, the Army, Navy and Air Force are all considering purchasing unmanned supply aircraft in large quantities, the blog states.