The New Marines Autonomous Helicopter

The New Marines Autonomous Helicopter

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One marine could control an autonomous, unmanned supply helicopter with an app on his tablet * A new U.S. Navy project.

heli reutersOne marine holding a tablet computer, using a simple application, will pilot and land an unmanned supply helicopter, delivering water, food, weapons and ammunition to marines in the field.

The U.S. Navy recently unveiled a $100-million project for the production of unmanned, autonomous, supply and delivery helicopters for the Marine Corps. The project will be implemented in about four years’ time. Rear Admiral Mathew Klunder, the U.S. Navy’s Chief of Naval Research, defined the project as a “massive technological leap”. One marine, with no previous piloting experience, could control the helicopter using a tablet after only a few minutes of training. According to Klunder the project’s aim is to deliver supplies to forces in the field without risking the lives of pilots and air crews, and without risking the lives of soldiers in ground supply convoys. According to U.S. Army data between 2003 and 2007 a soldier was killed in one out of every 24 supply convoys.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

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The tablet app will allow the marine to send commands to the helicopter, maintain communications with it, land it and prevent it from crossing no-fly zones. So far three models have been tested prior to being modified for autonomous flight. Lockheed-Martin and Aurora Flight Sciences are also developing this type of unmanned aerial vehicles. Rear Admiral Klunder said that marines have already operated an unmanned supply helicopter in Afghanistan, the K-Max, but that was a complex platform requiring highly trained pilots.

Brig. Gen. Kevin Killea, Vice Chief of Naval Research, said that the autonomous helicopter could land anywhere without requiring specially prepared landing sites. The vehicle would locate a suitable landing spot by itself using electro-optic sensors and a LIDAR system, which includes infrared equipment, light analysis and a range meter. Killea added that there’s still the challenge of piloting the aircraft in harsh environmental conditions such as snow or desert sand, but according to him the technology already exists and all challenges will eventually be overcome.