2011-02-18

On 3rd December 2010 the Navy announced the award of two fixed-price contracts to Boeing/Frontier Systems (A160T Hummingbird UAV ) and Lockheed Martin (K-Max UAV) for Cargo Unmanned Aircraft System services for $29.9 and $45.8 million respectively.

The Cargo UAS services contract is in response to an urgent needs requirement in support of Marine Corps forces in Operation Enduring Freedom. This capability will augment ground and air logistics operations, supplement rotary-wing assets and reduce warfighters’ exposure to Improved Explosive Devices in theater.

Both contracts include development of two air vehicles, three remote ground control stations and a Quick Reaction Assessment (QRA). The systems will be government-owned and contractor-operated. Each contract also includes a separate fixed-price option for a six-month deployment.

In order to meet the operational needs of the Marine Corps, the Navy made a decision to award two contracts to reduce potential deployment delays and inability to meet performance requirements. The Navy will conduct a QRA in summer 2011 to prove systems’ ability to sustain cargo-carrying capability in an operational environment. Immediately following a successful QRA, one contractor's in-country service option will be exercised and their system will deploy to OEF.

“While we only plan on deploying one system after a successful QRA, we will explore options for using the second system for future operational missions and/or science and technology development, should it also meet performance requirements,” said Capt. Tim Dunigan, Program Manager for Navy and Marine Corps Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Air Systems (PMA-266).
The Navy intends to field Cargo UAS in fall 2011 for a six-month deployment. After the initial deployment, Navy and Marine Corps leadership will assess the value of the capability and determine if an extension or re-compete contract should be pursued.

Boeing/Frontier Systems developed for that the A160T Hummingbird, a four-blade, vertical take-off and landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) suitable for urban areas which flight, development began in November 2002. Its capable of lifting 2,500 pounds, cruise with speed 305 km/h, with range about 2300 miles and the endurance is 20 hours. According to official Brochure “The A160T Hummingbird UAS looks like a helicopter, but is unlike any other helicopter. It can reach higher altitudes, hover for longer periods of time, go greater distances and operate much more quietly than current helicopters.”

This past March, under contract from the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, Boeing demonstrated the A160T's ability to deliver at least 2,500 pounds of cargo from one simulated forward-operating base to another base 75 nautical miles away in less than the required six hours. The simulated mission delivered 1,250-pound sling loads over two 150-nautical-mile round trips, with the A160T operating autonomously on a preprogrammed mission.

On the other hand, Lockheed Martin and Kaman Aerospace Corporation transformed the K-Max power lift helicopter into unmanned aircraft system, capable of autonomous or remote controlled cargo delivery. The rugged system can lift and deliver a full 6,000 lbs of cargo at sea level and more than 4,000 pounds at 15,000 ft density altitude. Maximum speed is 185 km/h and radius 495 km. The K-MAX is categorized as a "synchcropter" which is a helicopter making use of an intermeshing rotor system, the rotors turning in opposite directions and at opposing angles in such a way that they generate lift while steering clear of one another's rotations.

According to Lockheed Martin’s website and a recent press release, approximately 400 hours of flight tests in autonomous mode have been conducted since 2007.

In addition to those systems, some other systems are developed throughout the world. For example a dedicated cargo UAV is currently in development in Israel – the AirMule, an aerial vehicle designed specifically for multi-role tactical utility missions. The AirMule is equipped with internal lift rotors and has a small footprint, qualities that make it particularly suitable for vertical mobility in urban environments.  The AirMule has an empty weight of 1400 lbs (640 kg) and maximum load of up to 1900 lbs (860kg). The AirMule carries fuel to support up to 8 flight hours or 600 nm (1080 km). The aircraft has multiple-mission capabilities with the current emphasis being on unmanned casualty evacuation and cargo resupply. It is measured for internal carriage inside CH-53 type helicopters, enabling rapid and efficient global deployment. The AirMule is being evaluated by the Israeli Medical Corps and Israel MOD for potential use as an unmanned airborne casualty evacuation (CasEvac) system.

So far the AirMule prototype has performed 40 test hovers and accumulated 10 hours of flight time.  More recently the aircraft has been undergoing a systems upgrade including the development and installation of wheeled landing gear that will facilitate ground mobility while also enabling STOVL (Short Takeoff Vertical Landing) operations which have the potential to nearly double the aircraft’s payload capacity.  Urban Aeronautics plans to resume flight tests of its AirMule prototype before the end of the year.

Another new Israeli design is the IAI Panther family of tilt-rotor UAVs. Two versions of the Panther are already flying, the larger 65kg vehicle is proposed for the Israel defense Forces ‘brigade UAV’ program currently underway. Yet IAI has high hopes for the patented three-prop design, scaling up the current version to a helicopter size vehicle capable of carrying two passengers or an equivalent weight in cargo. The current vehicle is powered by electrical motors but the heavier versions could employ more efficient internal combustion engines. An interesting feature of the Panther is its flexible takeoff and landing configurations – for example, it can takeoff on a short runway with semi-tilted props and, after consuming part of the fuel, land vertically at its destination.

The U.S. Army is also looking into an unmanned aerial platform to operate as ‘combat medic unmanned aircraft system’ (CM-UAS), an aerial vehicle that will be able to respond to calls for evacuation or urgent resupply, by automatically navigating to the requested location, where it liaises with the party calling for the support to get landing instructions. As it touches down, the medics unload the medical supplies, load the casualties, flying back to the forward medical treatment point without putting a manned aircrew at risk.

DARPA is working on a concept flying vehicle that could replace today’s tactical utility vehicles – at least in part of their missions. According to Program Manager Mr. Stephen Waller, the TX vehicle is intended to make roads irrelevant for military small unit maneuvers. Units will be able to use TX air vehicles to fly over obstacles or impassible terrain, avoiding ambushes and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Personal TX vehicles could be dispatched for downed airman recovery or for evacuating injured personnel from difficult to access locations, or to resupply isolated small units.

The Transformers are still in their infancy. At the current stage the goal of the program is to define the major components and overall design of a TX vehicle that would be suitable for military scouting, personnel transport, and logistics missions. Under the program DARPA is planning to explore a hybrid electric drive ducted fan propulsion system, lightweight ring motors, and energy storage methods such as batteries and ultra capacitors. Other fields for innovation include morphing vehicle bodies, and advanced flight controls and flight management systems.
There are variety of different reasons for using UAS. Risk from weather and hostile fire is one of the reasons, to move towards UAS, you can make different decision if no man life would be put at risk. Precision is another advantage, even modern GPS guided parachute loads can land hundreds or thousands feet away from secure compound. UAS can offer 10 meter landing accuracy.  Other advantages are possibility to size aircraft to the mission, tackle manpower issues and etc. That’s why Marine Corps chose UAS and in the near future cargo resupply could be done by Unmanned Aerial Systems.

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