By U.S. Navy | December 27, 2022
The Naval Air Warfare Middle Plane Division (NAWCAD) lately demonstrated a number of unmanned programs in a first-of-its-kind mission to maneuver provides to ships at sea with out using manned plane throughout an occasion at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in St. Inigoes, Maryland.
The demo, held in collaboration with the Small Tactical Unmanned Plane Techniques program (PMA-263), employed unmanned automobiles to move cargo weighing lower than 50 lbs., which accounts for 90% of Navy logistics deliveries.
“We’re seeing a rise in manned and unmanned logistics,” stated Col. Victor Argobright, PMA-263 program supervisor. “For the Marine Corps, the Commandant is captivated with the place we’re going with unmanned logistics, and is starting conversations about operations and contested environments. The Navy is at present figuring out areas the place unmanned logistics can be a vital enabler to operations at sea, and the Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS is a good demonstration of this rising requirement.”
In the course of the occasion, trade companions Skyways Air Transportation, Inc., and Martin UAV operated their unmanned programs by means of long-range flights from ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore, and shore-to-ship conditions, carrying a wide range of objects to imitate vital provides. Each programs efficiently delivered cargo over 200 nautical miles onto a transferring ship underway.
“[For the future], we’re continued long-term experimentation, how the fleet operates, and the way we get the know-how out to our Sailors,” stated Tony Schmidt, NAWCAD’s Experimentation Workplace director.
The unmanned programs into consideration are able to vertical take-off-and-landing to function from most naval ships at sea and stations ashore, in addition to programs that don’t require devoted launch and restoration tools.
NAWCAD acquired the authentic Blue Water UAS prototype in 2019 to show long-range unmanned naval ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore cargo transport. Navy take a look at pilots and engineers have since labored with trade companions to develop a system that finest meets maritime necessities.
To view a video of the demonstrations, go to https://youtu.be/YazljfUCMs0
