Marines Eye Ship-to-Shore Robo-Chopper

The Marine Corps has demonstrated the ability of unmanned helicopters to deliver cargo safely to remote outposts in Afghanistan with its test of a pilotless K-Max helicopter developed by Lockheed Martin which can tote a 6,000 pound load dangling from a sling.

Now the service is looking for an unmanned and autonomous system that can deliver up to 500 pounds of cargo from ship to shore autonomously, meaning that unlike the K-Max, this bird will not require a remote pilot on the ground.

The Marines said they are looking at a vertical lift system, but would also entertain other ideas. When we reach the stage that robo-choppers deliver supplies to robo-troops, this will cut the supply dictum to deliver “beans and bullets” in half.

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Bob Brewin

Bob Brewin joined Government Executive in April 2007, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience as a journalist focusing on defense issues and technology. Bob covers the world of defense and information technology for Nextgov, and is the author of the “What’s Brewin” blog.

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