A team of unmanned aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Kaman [KAMN] successfully demonstrated its ability to support firefighting operations, Lockheed Martin said.
In a Nov. 6 demonstration, an unmanned Indago quad rotor aircraft identified hot spots and provided data to an operator. The operator then directed an unmanned K-Max helicopter to autonomously extinguish the flames. In one hour, the K-Max lifted and dropped over 24,000 pounds of water onto the fire.
The Indigo electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) gimbaled imager provides high quality data and enhanced situational awareness for operators making decisions, the company said. It is capable of providing tactical situational awareness and geo-location to help in missions such as firefighting, precision agriculture, and search and rescue.
The K-Max twin-rotor helicopter, manufactured by Kaman and equipped with Lockheed Martin mission suite, provided heavy-lift services, autonomously taking water from a pond and delivering it to the fire location.
The vehicle’s EO/IR camera can locate hot spots and mark the location to its operator for water drops. It has previously conducted autonomous resupply missions. The K-Max has a multi-hook carousel that can be attached to water buckets, litters, and medical supplies as the mission demands, the company said.
“The unmanned K-MAX and Indago aircraft can work to fight fires day and night, in all weather, reaching dangerous areas without risking a life,” Dan Spoor, vice president of Aviation and Unmanned Systems at Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems and Training business, said in a statement.
Neal Keating, Kaman Chairman, President and CEO, added, “This demonstration signifies the potential for adapting proven unmanned systems and their advanced sensors and mission suites to augment manned firefighting operations, more than doubling the amount of time on station.”