Navy still mum on unmanned chopper RFP

Kaman Corp.'s unmanned helicopter successfully completed a new round of tests in late April, but there’s still no sign of a solicitation from the Navy to acquire such a vehicle to resupply Marine Corps units in Afghanistan, reports Graham Warwick at Aviation Week’s Ares Blog.

The most recent K-Max test conducted by teammates Lockheed Martin and Kaman Corp., which was held at Kaman’s facilities in Bloomfield, Conn., sought to determine whether the unmanned helicopter could airdrop supplies into a combat zone. The 11 drop tests from either 300 feet or 400 feet altitude employed the Army’s low-cost, low-altitude parachute that can accommodate loads of up to 600 pounds. Parachute resupply is sometimes used instead of a cargo landing to reduce an aircraft’s vulnerability to enemy fire.

The Army’s Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center was on hand to observe the test.

Earlier this year, Kaman and Lockheed Martin demonstrated in a series of tests for the Marine Corps at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, that the K-Max can successfully execute cargo resupply missions. Kaman builds the unmanned machine, and Lockheed Martin provides its mission management and control systems.

Boeing also demonstrated to the Marine Corps earlier this year that its A160T Hummingbird can successfully complete the same resupply mission. Boeing plans to build up to 16 of the vehicles at its own expense over an 18-month period in anticipation of an eventual contracting opportunity.

In the Marine Corps demonstrations, the two teams proved they could deliver 2,500 pounds of cargo to a forward operating base 75 nautical miles away within six hours.

The two unmanned helicopters are designed to fly autonomously to their destination controlled by either line-of-sight or satellite-based beyond line-of-sight data links. As they approach a forward base to drop their cargo, an on-site operator is able to take control of the vehicle via a remote terminal and reposition the drop.