Military Helicopters Can Now Fly Themselves

Popular Mechanics: New System Allows Pilots to Sit Back While Military Helicopters Fly Themselves

The next time a military helicopter pilot tells the co-pilot “take the controls," there may not need to be anyone in the next seat over. Military researchers are developing a new system that lets a pilot completely hand off flying the aircraft to an autonomous system.

The ALIAS system, or Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System, was developed by DARPA to provide an invisible backup pilot, allowing the pilot to do other things such as coordinate friendly forces, adjust a plan of action, or anything else that requires full attention. Pilots can then dip back into ALIAS to re-suggest, re-route, or re-plan the ongoing flight as needed.

Here’s a DARPA video of ALIAS in action.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It is about time.

China Displays Its First Unmanned Attack Helicopter For The Public

China is touting the AV500W, photographed here, at an exhibition in Tianjin. Photo courtesy of Pakistan Defense/Twitter

TopYaps: China Displays Its First Unmanned Attack Helicopter For The Public At Military Expo

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has unveiled its first unmanned combat helicopter AV500W for the foreign buyers at the fourth China Helicopter Expo, one of the largest expos in the country. The helicopter was displayed in the northeastern Tianjin city to attract buyers and extend China’s military drone export possibilities abroad.

Read more ....


Update #1: China touts military drone helicopter at exhibition (UPI)
Update #2: China unveils unmanned attack helicopter (The Nation/China Daily)

WNU Editor: What a contrast in business styles when it comes to drone weapons sales. The U.S. is reluctant to sell their drones, and if they do, it is strictly regulated and only to close allies. The Chinese .... they will sell to anyone who can pay.

MQ-8C Fire Scout Helicopter Drone Makes Its First Flight From US Navy Destroyer USS Jason Dunham

Helicopter Drone Makes First Flight from Navy Destroyer -- Defense Tech

A helicopter drone developed by Northrop Grumman Corp. has made its first flight from a U.S. Navy destroyer, the company announced.

The MQ-8C Fire Scout on Dec. 16 completed 22 autonomous takeoffs and landings aboard the guided-missile destroyer, USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, according to a Dec. 23 release from the Falls Church, Virginia-based defense contractor.

“This is the first sea-based flight of the MQ-8C and the first time an unmanned helicopter has operated from a destroyer,” Capt. Jeff Dodge, who manages the program for Naval Air Systems Command, said in the release. The technology offers greater endurance, he added, allowing “ship commanders and pilots to have a longer on station presence.”

Read more ....

More News On The MQ-8C Fire Scout Helicopter Drone Making Its First Flight From The US Navy Destroyer USS Jason Dunham

Fire Scout Drone’s First At-Sea Takeoff -- Breaking Defense
MQ-8C Completes First Landing on U.S. Navy Ship -- AIN Online
US Navy's MQ-8C Fire UAV completes maiden flight on USS Jason Dunham -- Naval-Technology.com
Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman, MQ-8C Fire Scout Takes First Flight on USS Jason Dunham -- Global Newswire
Northrop Grumman delivers first operational MQ-8C Fire Scout to USN -- IHS Janes 360

U.S. Navy’s Fire Scout Helicopter Drone Program Is On The Chopping Block

Mississippi-Built Fire Scout Aircraft On Navy’s Cutting Block -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s proposed 2015 budget drops funding for purchases of the Navy’s unmanned, rotary-winged Fire Scout aircraft, which takes off and lands from ships and is being built in Moss Point, Miss., home state of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus.

Even more ominous for the Fire Scout program, the Navy’s five-year plan zeroes out its funding after purchasing the first 40 of them, heightening prospects that it might be among defense systems most endangered in a wave of budget cuts.

However, the funding freeze wouldn’t affect deliveries of 17 aircraft of an upgraded model that’s still being tested with money committed previously. That version is larger, is equipped with radar to help identify surveillance targets, can carry weapons and can fly farther than the 110-mile range of the original MQ-8B Fire Scout.

Read more ....

My Comment: With even more Pentagon budget cuts on the way .... expect this program and others to die.

U.S. Navy Testing Drone Helicopters

U.S. Navy Testing More Sophisticated Pilotless Helicopters -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The helicopter kicked up a cloud of freshly fallen snow that partly obscured the ground below, but despite the poor visibility, it gently touched down in a landing that was unremarkable except for the fact no one was at the controls.

The helicopter, filmed during testing by the Naval Research Laboratory, was piloted by a 100-pound (45-kg) sensor and software package that officials said can turn any rotary-winged aircraft into a virtually autonomous drone able to fly with minimal input from the Marine Corps troops it was designed to serve.

Rear Admiral Matthew Klunder, chief of Naval Research, said the sensor and software pack is "truly leap-ahead technology" that will let a Marine with no flight experience issue landing instructions to a cargo helicopter via tablet computer after just a few minutes of training.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. Navy Testing Drone Helicopters

Navy to fly full sized drone helicopters by tablet APP to deliver food, water and weapons to troops -- Daily Mail
Navy unveils new program to create drone-like autonomous aircraft -- FOX News
Navy Drones With a Mind of Their Own -- WSJ
Navy’s Future on Video: Fly Choppers With Tablets, Blast Enemies With Rail Guns -- ABC news
Navy unveils ‘leap-ahead technology’ that turns choppers into drones -- Washington Times
U.S. Navy Funds Development of Next-Level Helicopter Drones -- Aviation Today

My Comment: The above video is a must see on how far they have advanced in this technology.

DARPA Is Developing Unmanned Helicopter-Like Aircraft

DARPA's ARES program is developing unmanned aerial vehicles to carry out reconnaissance missions (top left), casualty evacuation (top right), and cargo resupply (top center and bottom). (Credit: DARPA)

DARPA's Hot For Futuristic Helicopter-Like Delivery Drones -- CNet

The Pentagon is developing unmanned aircraft for supply runs that can be controlled from a mobile phone or tablet -- think of it as Amazon drones in olive drab.

In hard-to-reach warzones, it can be near impossible to get supplies to ground soldiers or conduct rescue missions without coming under enemy fire or landing in minefields.

Given these logistical issues, the US Department of Defense in its DARPA division has begun developing unmanned helicopter-like aircraft -- aka drones -- for supply runs, airborne reconnaissance missions, and casualty evacuations.

Not your ordinary drones, these futuristic machines will be designed to carry up to 3,000 pounds, have their own power system, fuel, digital flight controls, and remote command-and-control interfaces. The military will be able to control these unmanned aerial vehicles with mobile apps on their smartphones or tablets.

Read more ....

Update: DARPA Is Developing 'Transformers'-Style Flying Drones -- Mashable

My Comment: In very hot war zones .... this unmanned helicopter will be a life saver.

A Robot Rescue Copter For Wounded Troops?

U.S. Navy Corpsmen transport wounded from an Army Medical Evacuation H-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Wikipedia

Army Eyes Robot Rescue Copters For Wounded Troops -- Danger Room

It’s one of the most dangerous missions on the modern battlefield — and one of the most important. Crews flying big, vulnerable and sometimes unarmed helicopters brave gunfire, bad weather and rugged terrain to snatch wounded troops from a firefight or the scene of a bomb blast.

Medical evacuation crews are some of the gutsiest people around. But to avoid another Black Hawk Down scenario — in which the rescuers also get trapped alongside the wounded — in the hottest battle zones the Pentagon sometimes grounds the medevac copters under certain conditions. Now the Army has latched onto a possible solution: replace the human copter crews with Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) drones.

Read more ....

My Comment: Patient-panic problems will probably be the #1 problem in using such a system.

Grounding (And The Spending) Navy Drone Copters

An MQ-8B Fire Scout drone copter lands on the U.S.S. McInerney after helping a counternarcotics mission in 2010. Photo: U.S. Southern Command

Navy Grounds Drone Copters, Then Spends Quarter-Billion To Buy More -- Danger Room

Just weeks after the Navy grounded its favorite fleet of unmanned spy copters, the admirals announced that they’re spending another quarter-billion dollars to buy even more of the drones.

Manufacturer Northrop Grumman will get $262,336,248 to provide the Navy with six MQ-8B Fire Scout copters and test two more. The single-sourced contract comes two weeks after the Navy put the drone helos on an indefinite timeout after discovering what it described as “two unrelated operational mishaps.”

Read more ....

My Comment: Pentagon spending at (fill in the blank).

U.S. Navy Grounds It's Unmanned Helicopter Fleet

An MQ-8B Fire Scout operates in the Atlantic Ocean with the frigate McInerney in 2009. The U.S. Navy grounded its fleet of the UAVs April 10 after two unrelated mishaps. (MC2 Alan Gragg / Navy)

U.S. Navy Grounds Unmanned Helicopters After Incidents -- Defense News

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy said April 10 it grounded its fleet of unmanned MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopters after what it termed “two unrelated operational mishaps” with the aircraft.

“In light of the recent mishaps, the Navy has temporarily suspended Fire Scout flight operations for 14 air vehicles in inventory while system performance and operational procedures are reviewed,” a statement said.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. Navy Grounding It's Drone Helicopter Fleet

Navy Grounds Drone Copter Fleet -- Danger Room
Navy grounds helicopter drones after two crashes in a week -- L.A. Times
Navy shuts down troubled aerial drone program -- The Hill
Navy Anti-Piracy Drones Grounded After “Unrelated Mishaps” -- gCaptain

The US Navy's Fire Scout To Be Upgraded To Recognize Somali Pirate Ships

Fire Scout, Now Hunting Pirates U.S. Navy

Navy's Robot Helicopters Are Getting New Onboard Brains That Will Help Them Fight Somali Pirates -- Popular Science

It’s tough being a pirate these days. Facing off with Navy SEALs and missile cruisers on their home turf of the high seas is tough enough for small-arms wielding pirates in diminutive watercraft. Now, the Navy is bringing in the robots. The Office of Naval Research has plans to imbue its Fire Scout unmanned, ship-launched helicopters with electronic brains capable of identifying the small boats generally used by pirates.

Read more ....

My Comment: Instead of facial recognition for humans .... we now have 'ship recognition'. Quite smart if you ask me.

A Helicopter Drone For The U.S. Army

(Credit: U.S. Army)

US Army Unveils 1.8 Gigapixel Camera Helicopter Drone -- BBC

New helicopter-style drones with 1.8 gigapixel colour cameras are being developed by the US Army.

The army said the technology promised "an unprecedented capability to track and monitor activity on the ground".

A statement added that three of the sensor-equipped drones were due to go into service in Afghanistan in either May or June.

Boeing built the first drones, but other firms can bid to manufacture others.

"These aircraft will deploy for up to one full year as a way to harness lessons learned and funnel them into a program of record," said Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Munster, product manager at the US Army's Unmanned Aerial System Modernization unit.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. Army`s Newest Helicopter Drone

US deploys 1.8 gigapixel helicopter surveillance drones to Afghanistan -- The Register
Hummingbird robo-drone gets 1.8-gigapixel camera -- CNet
New spy drone has 1.8 gigapixel camera -- Extreme Tech
US Army's A160 Hummingbird drone-copter to don 1.8 gigapixel camera -- Endgadget
Army to deploy vertical take-off UAS -- www.Army.mil

Marines’ Robot Cargo-Copters Make Their Debut In Afghanistan

Photo: Kaman

Marines’ Robot Cargo-Copter Takes Flight in Afghanistan -- Danger Room

Pakistan is still blockading NATO war supplies passing through the port of Karachi in response to last month’s killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers by an alliance air strike. But inside Afghanistan, supply lines are about to get a lot safer for NATO’s logisticians. On Saturday, the Marine Corps flew history’s very first combat resupply mission using a robot helicopter. The unmanned Kaman K-MAX successfully hauled a sling-load of cargo out to an unspecified base, presumably somewhere in southern Afghanistan.

Read more ....

It's Robo-Drone!

It's Robo-Drone! Tiny Policing Helicopter Used To Hunt Pirates Fires Stun Gun Baton Rounds -- Daily Mail

It's the latest weapon in the war on crime - a tiny tasering remote-controlled helicopter that can also fire shotgun shells and grenades.

The Shadowhawk UAV may only be seven-foot long and weigh a measly 49lbs, but it is already being used to track pirates off the Horn of Africa and enforce law on the streets of the U.S.

The discreetness of the chopper, and its top speeds of 70mph, means it can follow suspects and conduct aerial patrols where traditional police helicopters would never dare to go.

Read more ....

My Comment: Impressive tech. I suspect that many US-Afghan FOBs would love to have this thing flying around their base.

Demand For Unmanned Helicopters Expected To Increase

K-MAX UAV via Kamen Aerospace

Marine Corps' Unmanned Programmable Copter Passes First Major Test -- Popular Science

The difficulty of supplying remote outposts across rugged terrain has contributed to many of the deadliest moments in the Afghan War, by preventing the delivery of weapons and ammo to engaged soldiers, forcing supplies to travel over dangerous roads, or turning helicopters into vulnerable targets. Last June, the Marines put out a call for a helicopter UAV to solve those problems. Now, with a successful demonstration at Utah's Dugway Proving Grounds, the Marines might have found their robocopter.

Read more ....

More News On Unmanned Helicopters

Team K-MAX Demonstrates Successful Unmanned Helicopter Cargo Resupply to U.S. Marine Corps -- Lockheed Martin
A160 Hummingbird: Boeing’s Variable-Rotor VTUAV -- Defense Industry Daily
Afghanistan Demands A Different Kind of UAV -- Strategy Page
UH-60 UAV -- Strategy Page
Israel Aerospace Industries Presents Various New Technologies and Products at Singapore Air Show 2010 -- Defpro
Army Short-Circuits Robotic Future; Axes Drone Helo, ‘Mule’ (Updated) -- Danger Room
Black Hawk - the ultimate UAV? -- New Zealand Herald
Hey! Who's Flying This Thing? -- Motley Fool

Manned And Unmanned Helicopters Most Efficient When Working Together

Flock of Copters Fly, my pretties! U.S. Army/Spc. George Welcome

From Popular Science:

Flying alongside drones might seem a bit strange for U.S. Army chopper pilots, but it has major payoffs. The U.S. Army found that a mixed flight force of manned and unmanned helicopters could locate and kill 90 percent of targets, compared to manned helicopter forces that located just 70 percent of targets, according to DOD Buzz.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is another reason why unmanned helicopters and UAVs are the big thing in the military .... their kill rate is impressive.

Networked Surveillance Minicopters Can't Be Kept Down

From New Scientist:

The helicopter in this video may weigh only 30 grams, but it carries a compass and motion sensors, can change course and warn fellow craft of obstacles it bumps into, and could even carry a small camera. It can also resist what might be called a King Kong attack – if swatted out of the air the tiny craft soon recovers and takes off again.

Read more ....

My Comment: They are getting smaller and smaller.

New Unmanned Chopper Sniffs Out Improvised Explosives While Looking Adorable

Helipanda This little fella likes flying through rainbows and sniffing for bombs Scheibel

From Popular Science:

The Pentagon is testing an unmanned helicopter that can detect electromagnetic emissions from IEDs. Codename: HELIPANDA (we wish)

Roadside bombs have long represented the greatest killer of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, but there's hope beyond the sturdy little demolition bots that already work with their human handlers. The Pentagon now has two aerial drones on the testing docket as possible countermeasures for improvised explosive devices (IEDs)--one of which we're calling 'Helipanda' for the remainder of this post.

Read more ....

My Comment: Another example on the growth of the uav helicopter drone revolution.

Unmanned Helicopters To Begin Military Service

The RQ-8 Fire Scout UAV successfully test fires the second of two Mark 66 unguided rockets during weapons testing at Arizona's Yuma Proving Grounds Photo: BARCROFT

Unmanned Fire Scout Helicopter To Begin Military Service -- The Telegraph

A state-of-the-art unmanned helicopter- known as the Fire Scout - is about to begin US military service.

The drone chopper is the latest addition to a growing list of robotic combat vehicles that remove the need to put human soldiers in the line of fire.

Developed by American aerospace and defence company Northrop Grumman, the aircraft will be able to carry out missions based on a set of instructions programmed into it.

Read more ....

My Comment: And this is just the beginning. These weapon systems are truly revolutionizing warfare.

The UAV Revolution: Rotorcraft UAVs

Boeing A160T. Photo from Aviation News

From Rotors And Wings Magazine:

Unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing variety have proven their worth to the military beyond doubt during the past 15 years or so, especially since U.S. troops went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, with a lag time less dramatic but still reminiscent of the four-decade gap between the dawn of powered flight and the debut of the first useful helicopters, interest in rotorcraft UAVs is clearly taking off.

Read more ....

My Comment: The next big thing in UAV vehicles.

Boeing Looks To Elevate Its UAV Game

The Marines are looking for a few good UAVs. Will Boeing's Hummingbird pass muster?
(Credit: Boeing)

From CNET:

Boeing this week is touting a pair of deals focused on unmanned aerial vehicles, both of them rotorcraft.

On Monday, the aerospace behemoth said that it's getting $500,000 from the U.S. Marines Corps that will go toward a project meant to demonstrate the cargo-hauling capabilities of Boeing's A160T Hummingbird. The Marines are looking into the possibility of dispatching unmanned aircraft as cargo carriers in place of trucks driven by flesh-and-blood troops.

Read more ....

My Comment: These helicopters are incredible. The skill to pilot one of them must also be incredible. The military applications for these vehicles in providing close support and other operations .... off the chart.