The Marine Corps is getting even closer to fielding an unmanned cargo helicopter that will be used to resupply marines in remote battlefields. The Lockheed Martin-KAMAN team successfully completed a five-day quick-reaction assessment, which proved that the K-MAX unmanned helo is capable of carrying cargo in an operational environment, according to a Lockheed release. “Through various scenarios during QRA, the unmanned K-MAX [unmanned helicopter] performed extremely well, exceeding the cargo delivery objectives of the assessment,” said Roger Il Grande, director of airborne systems at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors. The Navy and Marine Corps will review the results of a formal report, expected within the next 30 days, before it’s decided whether the aircraft is suitable for deployment. (See also Marines Closer to Fielding Unmanned Cargo Helicopter from the Daily Report archives.)
Top experts and observers stressed the importance of air superiority in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine during a Sept. 26 forum in Washington D.C.—and pushed hard for the U.S. to supply Ukraine with advanced weapons as quickly as possible.