Army's scout and reconnaissance helicopter should be able to operate unmanned aircraft from its cockpit
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army’s new Scout helicopter is intended to travel at speeds greater than 200 knots and launch fast hit-and-run offensive operations. Kris Osborn of Warrior Maven reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
6 July 2020 -- The new helicopter also will conduct forward reconnaissance and operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the cockpit, should the service’s current vision for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft come to fruition.
The Army recently awarded development deals to Sikorsky (Lockheed) and Bell for the platform, which is intended to replace the now-retired Kiowa Warrior helicopter.
The Kiowa armed scout helicopter and the AH-64 Apache attach helicopter have operated at high levels of manned-unmanned teaming wherein helicopter crews control drone flight path and sensor payload from the cockpit. Such a system has provided a considerable tactical advantage, Army pilots say, because in many instances it allowed them to identify targets of relevance before taking off.
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
