Resupplying combat troops in Afghanistan is a dangerous, slow and increasingly expensive undertaking.  Moving a truck filled with supplies 50 miles could require as many as 100 Marines, most of them to provide security, and take about 24 hours, according to DefenseNews.

Of course, it’s a lot faster to deliver supplies by helicopter, but that costs almost $10,000 per hour and puts airmen and helicopters at risk.  Airdrops by fixed-wing aircraft are safer, but much less accurate and just as expensive.

What’s a soldier to do? Employ UAVs, say Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Sikorsky.

Each firm is developing an unmanned supply helicopter that would reduce the cost of ferrying supplies to ground troops in combat zones and reduce our troops’ exposure to deadly improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and ambushes.

Lockheed Martin and partner Kaman Aerospace are working on an unmanned version of the Kaman K-MAX helicopter that is designed to carry up to 6,000 pounds, fly to a delivery point, unload and fly back, all without intervention by a human and at a cost of about $1,100 an hour.  In tests, the K-MAX hovered at 12,000 feet with a 1,500-pound load slung beneath, completed two 175-mile round trips to deliver 3,000 pounds of cargo in less than six hours, changed missions mid-flight and delivered four 750-pound loads to four different destinations (three autonomously and the fourth one under operator control).

Northrop Grumman is working on adapting its 3,150-pound Fire Scout, originally designed as a vertical take-off and landing reconnaissance UAV for Navy ships, to carry up to 600 pounds of supplies in cargo containers mounted on its skids.

Like the K-MAX, the Fire Scout can fly autonomously or respond to instructions from an operator on the ground using GPS for navigation, but unlike the K-MAX, the pilotless Fire Scout doesn’t fly blind. Using advanced sensors, the Fire Scout can observe the landing zone it is approaching to ensure that it’s free of obstacles and people before touching down.  Sensors on the Fire Scout’s skids also detect contact with the ground and automatically detach the cargo containers, enabling the Fire Scout to take off again more quickly.

Finally, helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky announced last month that it is spending $1 billion to develop a unmanned version the Black Hawk, the military’s workhorse helicopter. Analysts expect the unmanned H-60 to be demonstrated this year and could be in service by 2015.

Tags: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Sikorsky
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