Airbus has performed the cargo bay loading test for the upcoming unmanned version of the UH-72 Lakota helicopter for the USMC.
The variant, also dubbed UH-72 Logistics Connector, will act as a cargo haulier by carrying loads inside what is originally the cabin section. Defense News reported that the cargo is loaded through the front door, opening like a clam shell.
UH-72 is a development of the H145 lightweight helicopter for the USMC needs.
A similar unmanned rotary-wing aircraft development in the U.S. is the MQ-8C Fire Scout for the U.S. Navy, a Bell 407 helicopter converted into a UAV to perform ISTAR missions.
USMC isn't the only one seeking unmanned helicopters to carry cargo around. The Army has been testing the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with autonomy kits for cargo missions without an onboard pilot to intervene. Within the scope of these efforts, DARPA has awarded a contract to Sikorsky for integrating the MATRIX autonomous flight kit on a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter.
Unmanned UH-72 Helicopter as The Flying Mule of USMC
