With the rising need to move large quantities of supplies large distances, and the increase in the danger that convoys come under when attempting to resupply far off outposts, the US Marine Corps started testing new unmanned helicopters to perform such heavy lift operations since late 2011. These helicopters are altered Kaman K-MAX that are outfitted with software and hardware components that allow them to deliver cargo either autonomously or by remote control. The K-MAX program is a joint venture between Kaman, Lockheed Martin, and the Marine Corps.
The K-MAX was first designed to provide a super heavy lift capability to all costumers when designed in the mid 1990s. I has been used in many industries, ranging from firefighting, to logging, and to general heavy lift. The design has proven to be extremely successful in high-hot conditions, such as the terrain in Afghanistan, where many classic rotary designs have suffered from overheating, reduced power, and increased down time due to wear and tear on the airframe and engines. Able to lift 6,000 lbs of supplies (more than the weight of the helicopter itself!!) and provide the greatest economic efficiency of any helicopter in its class, the K-MAX was a logical choice for the Marine Corps when the sought to find a solution to their logistical problems in Afghanistan.
The ability to resupply outposts remotely without having to risk more personnel, such as pilots, is a milestone in unmanned aviation. By being able to deliver supplies and return with another load would drastically cut down on the requirements and strain placed on the aviation branch of all armed forces to allow them to focus assets elsewhere. If expanded, this program would be able to safely supply a larger portion of remote outposts in Afghanistan and any future battlefield while simultaneously reducing the danger to pilots. The K-MAX is currently supplying outposts and assisting in the draw down of forces in Afghanistan by taking up the slack that is left when other rotary units leave the theater. Even though it is still in the test phase, the K-MAX has proven to be capable, reliable, and an overall success. There is a possibility to increase the number of airframes in the inventory to help out during future operations and as the military inevitably reduces its numbers to peacetime levels once more. The K-MAX will most likely be taking part in future humanitarian and military operations.
Interestingly enough...I wrote an article about this very platform and this very subject. You can find it here... http://www.alu.army.mil/alog/issues/SepOct12/The_Case_Against_Cargo.html
ReplyDeleteI would be interested to know what you all think about my rebuttal to what I think is a little bit of bluster around UAVs.
Perhaps Riverside Quartermaster should consider what he means by "heavy lift." One should compare what this platform can carry against what others can.
BUT....I think that the Marine Corps does have a particular use for the KMAX. Discounting Afghanistan, I think the core function of the USMC lends itself well to this.
Not that you all have to agree with me...The most recent issue of Army Sustainment included a "Letter to the Editor" that disagreed with my article.
Something I thought about while reading this article is, what are the costs?! While I think the concept of being able to transport goods into dangerous areas with out having to risk lives to do so is innovative and sensible, I can't imagine that training Soldier's to operate the K-MAX would be cheap. I also think that there may be a lot of lost (crashed, literally lost, etc) K-MAX and equipment in the initial implementation of the system. However, I think it is a really interesting topic and I am very curious to see where this project goes, and how successful it is.
ReplyDeleteI found this article very fascinating in how the Military is testing a new unmanned helicopter to be used in a capacity of doing dangerous supply or resupply missions. However I find this unmanned helicopter design to be contradiction in respects to its mission set. I understand the whole unmanned aspect of this system to reduce sending our soldiers out in hostile territory. On the contrary, I just don’t believe this unmanned helicopter design concept can be effective without weapons to deter enemy air and ground fire. I am really curious to know to see who has to recover this UAS if it gets compromised in some manner. Now I am all for the UAS and the mission set it will one day fulfill, I would personally just like to see some weapons on the system to be able to handle the hostile territory we are designing it for.
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ReplyDeleteJust an article talking about the Marine Corps' decision to keep the K-MAX in Afghanistan.
ReplyDeletehttp://defensetech.org/2013/05/01/marines-indefinitely-extend-k-maxs-afghanistan-mission/
Here is an article that talks about how the Army is being pressured into finding a system that operates just like the KMAX does for the Marines.
ReplyDeletehttp://defensetech.org/2013/05/23/congress-to-army-get-your-own-cargo-drone/
Lets see how this turns out as the Marines continue to increase its use of the few test KMAXs it has in the field right now. As the increase in drones continues, will there also be an integration of the driver-less vehicles like the ones tested out at DARPA. The military has been looking at these for a while, but with the use of these remote KMAX helicopters will there be a need for the DARPA inspired vehicles?
Is the future of logistics an all remote force that can be told to move supplies as efficiently as its programming can make it? This will be an interesting aspect of war to see develop as technology continues to improve and change our lives.
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