Lockheed Martin [LMT]. and Kaman Aerospace [KAMN] announce Feb. 8 they have demonstrated to the Marines the capability of its K-MAX unmanned helicopter to resupply troops in Afghanistan.
The K-MAX is in use in private industry–primarily in logging and construction–as a manned system. Lockheed Martin provides the communication links and the datalinks and interfaces that allow for an unmanned capability (Defense Daily, Feb. 4).
The companies said that in a series of flights last week at the Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, the unmanned helicopter demonstrated preprogrammed and remote-control flight.
Last summer, the Marines awarded Kaman and Lockheed Martin [LMT], $860,000 to demonstrate their respective helicopters (Defense Daily, Aug. 14).
The Marines are mulling over industry offerings after releasing a request for proposals (RFP) for an “Immediate Cargo Unmanned Aerial System” was issued last spring. The plan calls for an unmanned aircraft capable of delivering 10 tons of supplies at high altitudes and across a distance of 150 miles within 24 hours. The Marines want to field the new capability this year.
Initial respondents to the Marine Corp’s RFP last year included the Northrop Grumman [NOC] Fire Scout; the Boeing [BA] A160T Hummingbird; the Mist Mobility Integrated Systems Technology (MMIST) SnowGoose; and the Kaman-Lockheed Martin K-MAX intermeshing-rotor helicopter.
The announcement comes a week after Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced a new initiative for new helicopter technology, including unmanned Black Hawks.
The K-MAX hovered at 12,000 feet and delivered 3,000 pounds of cargo in a required six-hour timeframe.