Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Marine Corps To Start Operations With VTOL UAS Next Month
The Marine Corps says it plans to deploy the unmanned K-MAX VTOL
UAS to Afghanistan next month. The decision follows the successful
completion of a five-day Quick Reaction Assessment for the U.S.
Navy's Cargo Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program. A formal
report, released last week by Commander Operational Test and
Evaluation Force, confirmed that the unmanned K-MAX exceeded the
Navy and Marines' requirement to deliver 6,000 pounds of cargo per
day.
K-MAX will be the Navy's first-ever cargo unmanned aircraft
system to deploy in an operational environment. The deploying team
recently concluded training and flight tests at its base in
Twenty-nine Palms, CA, and is currently preparing the aircraft for
shipment into theater. The team consists of active duty mission
commanders, air vehicle operators and Lockheed Martin
employees.
"I am very confident in both the team and the K-MAX UAS to
successfully perform their missions while deployed," said Rear
Admiral Bill Shannon, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned
Aviation and Strike Weapons. "K-MAX has the capability to quickly
deliver cargo, thus getting troops off the roads and allowing them
to focus on other missions."
Since partnering in 2007, Lockheed Martin and Kaman Aerospace
have successfully transformed Kaman's proven K-MAX power-lift
manned helicopter into a UAS capable of autonomous or remote
controlled cargo delivery. Kaman designed the K-MAX platform, and
Lockheed Martin has designed the helicopter's mission management
and control systems to provide the K-MAX with exceptional flight
autonomy in remote environments and over long distances.
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