Future Helicopters

[armrdsoul77]

I like the aesthetic of unmanned versions of what were designed to be manned aircraft. Friend or foe?

 

[Kirkhill]

Bell Textron ready to supply helicopters to Ukraine

Bell Textron, a major American aerospace manufacturer, has confirmed its readiness to supply its AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Militarnyi reported. The development follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in Washington between representatives...

defence-blog.com

Viper and Venom still have a role apparently

 

[Kirkhill]

Pilot-Optional UH-60 Black Hawk Put To The Test In U.S. Military Exercise

The OPV Black Hawk showed off new abilities to drop cargo by parachute, move sling-loads, and carry out medical evacuation missions.

www.twz.com

Optionally Piloted UH-60 commanded a non-aviator Staff Sergeant with a tablet and an hour's training.

Multiple waypoints, parachute drops and sling loads over 70 km.

And the guys doing the slinging preferred the autopilot to the real thing - more stable in the hover.

 

[Kirkhill]

Pilot-Optional UH-60 Black Hawk Put To The Test In U.S. Military Exercise

The OPV Black Hawk showed off new abilities to drop cargo by parachute, move sling-loads, and carry out medical evacuation missions.

www.twz.com

Optionally Piloted UH-60 commanded a non-aviator Staff Sergeant with a tablet and an hour's training.

Multiple waypoints, parachute drops and sling loads over 70 km.

And the guys doing the slinging preferred the autopilot to the real thing - more stable in the hover.

Further to...

Medals all around to the air crew for pucker factor related wear and tear.

"Lockheed Martin recently reported that a Black Hawk helicopter built by its Sikorsky subsidiary and outfitted with the company's MATRIX autonomy system, developed under DARPA's Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program, flew a trio of practice missions at Michigan's Camp Grayling in August. At the helm was an Army National Guard Sergeant First Class who "trained in less than an hour" and "became the first soldier to independently plan, command, and execute OPV [optionally piloted] Black Hawk missions using the system's handheld tablet."

In short, a non-aviator was given a handheld tablet and managed to fly a Black Hawk that, while carrying an aircrew, was without a pilot at the controls - and it flew a full 70 nautical miles (80 miles, 129 kilometers) away in the course of the trial. "

Pace Bob Newhart - listening in on that conversation:

Who's going to be flying this thing?
And we're on board?
How much training?

 

[GK .Dundas]

Pilot-Optional UH-60 Black Hawk Put To The Test In U.S. Military Exercise

The OPV Black Hawk showed off new abilities to drop cargo by parachute, move sling-loads, and carry out medical evacuation missions.

www.twz.com

Optionally Piloted UH-60 commanded a non-aviator Staff Sergeant with a tablet and an hour's training.

Multiple waypoints, parachute drops and sling loads over 70 km.

And the guys doing the slinging preferred the autopilot to the real thing - more stable in the hover.

I wonder what's considered more offensive the fact that it was unmanned or that it was " flown/ operated by a mere Sargent ?