A detachment of US Marines recently completed the first unmanned aircraft system cargo delivery in a combat zone with a remotely-piloted helicopter, moving about 3,500 pounds of supplies from Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan to Combat Outpost Payne. The helicopter, an unmanned variant of K-MAX, completed the delivery in about an hour and a half. The Marines’ K-MAX became the first unmanned cargo helicopter to deliver supplies to a remote location in Afghanistan, according to Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer.
This initiative represents the trend by the US military and private industry to explore ways to expand the use of unmanned aerial systems on the battlefield. The goal is to reduce risks to aircrews in the sky and truckers on the ground.
Army officials are quick to point out that the yearlong deployments of the equipment are intended to determine what they will ask industry to develop.
“This deployment will help determine those requirements for a vertical-takeoff and lift unmanned aircraft system,” said Sofia Bledsoe, a spokeswoman for the Program Executive Office for Army Aviation at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. “We will take those lessons learned and funnel that into a formal programme … based on the requirements.” The intent is full and open competition among defense contractors, she said.
Specifics of how Fort Bragg soldiers might interact with the new technology in coming months or in the future are unclear and unavailable.
However, Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division has several thousand soldiers in Afghanistan, and Fort Bragg special operations forces constantly deploy to the Middle East. Fort Bragg is the home of U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command, which oversees aviation resources for the soldiers, who often work in small numbers in hostile environments.
Lockheed Martin and Kaman Aerospace developed two unmanned K-MAX helicopters for safer resupplying of troops at forward operating bases in Afghanistan under a $45.8 million contract with the Navy.
During a 90-minute flight, K-MAX delivered about 3,500 pounds of food and supplies to troops at Combat Outpost Payne, according to Lockheed Martin.
“We delivered cargo that was supposed to be delivered by convoy. Now that convoy has three pallets that it does not have to carry,” said Major Kyle O’Connor, the officer in charge of the mission.
Sources: Stars and Stripes. DIVDS