Who Needs Fire Fighting Helicopters When There Are Drones?

Who Needs Fire Fighting Helicopters When There Are Drones?

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We’ve heard numerous times how unmanned aerial vehicles were interfering with firefighters’ work when they were hovering around their helicopters. Different laws have been legislated to keep them away from the scene and prevent needless and expensive collisions with manned aircrafts. There are, however, some who are interested in keeping these drones above burning forests and are putting them in the spotlight once again.

KAMAN Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. have worked with U.S. Department of Interior and Forest Service officials to demonstrate the capabilities of the K-MAX, an unmanned helicopter capable of carrying cargo or dropping water.

Last month, Textron Systems used its fixed-wing UAV to perform situational awareness missions for firefighters on the ground surrounding the wildfires. At the Lucky Peak Helibase near Boise, Idaho, demonstrations were performed with the K-MAX. Roughly one year ago, the K-MAX’s firefighting capabilities were displayed at the New York Federal Aviation Administration-selected UAS test site.

“We owe it to the firefighters on the ground to continually explore technologies that improve their safety and best support their efforts to protect communities and our nation’s natural and cultural resources during a wildfire incident,” said Mark Bathrick, director of Interior’s Office of Aviation Services. “The integration of technology that could more than double the time we’re able to provide them with logistical and direct air support could be a game-changer in this mission area.”

Dan Spoor, vice president and general manager of aviation and unmanned systems at Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems and Training business, said: “Unmanned K-MAX’s insertion into firefighting operations offers fire suppression, aerial support and potential crew extraction to reduce risk to ground firefighters and aircrew.”

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