Helicopter Autonomously Delivered Payload During Demonstration In Benning, GA

Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center have successfully performed a fully autonomous cargo resupply demonstration where the company’s unmanned K-Max helicopter delivered a Squad Mission Support System ground robot.

The two systems worked together at Fort Benning, Georgia, where a K-Max delivered the SMSS on a sling load. Then the large ground robot navigated to an observation point and used its Gyrocam sensor to seek out potential enemies. A commander would then assess the situation if this concept of operations were deployed in theater, according to Lockheed Martin.

"Fully autonomous capabilities as we've just demonstrated will allow service members to focus on important missions and remain out of harm's way," says Scott Greene, vice president of Ground Vehicles for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "This successful demonstration with both unmanned air and ground vehicles shows us that these missions are not only possible, but can be available much sooner than you would expect."

The two systems were outfitted with mobile satellite communications and local line-of-sight communications systems for the test.

"This demonstration signifies another use for robots and this brings us closer to the pinnacle of how we use unmanned systems," says Dan Spoor, vice president of Aviation and Unmanned Systems at Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems and Training business. "There is significant potential for these types of systems for humanitarian aid, the civilian oil and gas industry, firefighting, and for other military applications."

A pair of K-Maxs recently returned from a nearly three-year deployment in Afghanistan where they were used for hauling a total of 4.5 million pounds of supplies and cargo during that time span.

"The synergistic use of unmanned air and ground vehicles will give warfighters a larger operational reach and allow execution of missions that are currently performed at great risk to the warfighter," says Dr. Paul Rogers, TARDEC director.

(Image provided by Lockheed Martin)

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com, www.army.mil