Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC
The US Army has demonstrated the teaming of attack helicopters with unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for combat operations.
The Airborne Manned-Unmanned System Technology (AMUST) demonstration - conducted last month at Fort Huachuca, Arizona - culminated in an exercise in which a ground control station transferred control of a TRW/IAI Hunter tactical UAV to a Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter.
Under the gunship's control, the UAV reconnoitred a route for the AH-64D and established a screen 10km (5.4nm) ahead of the Apache. Targets acquired by the UAV were passed to the AH-64D's sensors.
The Apache located and identified targets at ranges of 30km using the AMUST. Real-time targeting video was downlinked from the rotorcraft to a ground station using the Tactical Video Link (TVL).
Hunter controls were integrated into the helicopter's controls and displays. The pilots were able to control the UAV without too much effort, say project officials.
AMUST will be used in two further military exercises set for later this year and in early 2001. The first will end with a live-fire demonstration in which the AH-64D/Hunter team will acquire targets and hand-off data for a Lockheed MartinAGM-114 Hellfire missile engagement by other helicopters. Battle damage assessment will use the TVL.
Source: Flight International
