Lockheed Martin, Kaman Aerospace to test unmanned helicopter

Posted: 2:12 pm Mon, February 8, 2010
By Associated Press

Lockheed Martin Corp. and Kaman Aerospace Corp. are launching their own unmanned military helicopter.

Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin — Maryland’s largest defense contractor — and Kaman, headquartered in Bloomfield, Conn., said Monday they have demonstrated to the Marine Corps the capability of an unmanned helicopter to resupply troops in Afghanistan.

The companies said that in a series of flights last week at the Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, the unmanned helicopter demonstrated preprogrammed and remote-control flight.

The announcement comes a week after Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. launched a business venture that will promote new helicopter technology, including unmanned Black Hawks.

Demand has jumped for unmanned helicopters as the U.S. military fights two wars while trying to keep down casualties. AAI Corp., a Hunt Valley defense contractor, has developed an unmanned aircraft system called Shadow, which the military uses to spot bombing targets and analyze battlefield damage.