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Navy/USMC

UPDATED: US Marines Plan to Experiment With Fully Autonomous K-MAX Helicopters

By Brian Garrett-Glaser

Friday, April 12th, 2019

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UPDATED: US Marines Plan to Experiment With Fully Autonomous K-MAX Helicopters

Once grounded for lack of funding and official interest in continuing the program, two semi-robotic Marine Corps logistic helicopters are on their way to Connecticut to have their brains enhanced. The Marine Corps for a time operated two Kaman [KAMNA] K-MAX enmeshed-rotor helicopters outfitted with Lockheed Martin [LMT]-developed autonomy kits to deliver tons of supplies to forward operating bases in Afghanistan. Those helicopters drew strong praise from enlisted Marines and top brass, but were eventually grounded. Congress provided some funding…

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