Английская Википедия:Boeing AH-6
The Boeing AH-6 is a series of light helicopter gunships based on the MH-6 Little Bird and MD 500 family. Developed by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems, these include the Unmanned Little Bird (ULB) demonstrator, the A/MH-6X Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB), and the proposed AH-6I and AH-6S.
Design and development
The Unmanned Little Bird demonstrator, which Boeing built from a civilian MD 530F, first flew on September 8, 2004, and made its first autonomous flight (with safety pilot) on October 16, 2004.[1]
In April 2006, Boeing used the ULB to demonstrate the ability of another helicopter, in this case an AH-64 Apache to remotely control the ULB's weapons payload as a part of Boeing's Airborne Manned/Unmanned System Technology Demonstration (AMUST-D) program. For the initial test, the Apache Longbow was on the ground, while the ULB was airborne several miles away and Hellfire missiles were fired from the ULB by a tester sitting at the co-pilot's station in the Apache. Both aircraft are equipped with tactical common data link equipment and technologies manufactured by L-3 Communications.[2]
The ULB Demonstrator first flew in the unmanned mode on June 30, 2006 from the United States Army's Yuma Proving Ground, flying a pre-programmed 20-minute armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission around the facility. All previous flights during the 450 flight hour engineering development phase had a safety pilot on board, although the aircraft was typically flown remotely from the ground.[3][4]
With the successes of the ULB, Boeing incorporated its technologies into an A/MH-6, designating it the A/MH-6X. On September 20, 2006, the first A/MH-6X lifted off on its maiden flight from Boeing Rotorcraft Systems' Mesa, Arizona facility with a pilot on board. While the ULB Demonstrator had a payload of 2,400 pounds, the MELB has an additional 1,000 pounds of payload capacity. The A/MH-6X is similar to the A/MH-6M, but includes a prototype glass cockpit and a number of upgrades to the electronics and avionics.[5] The A/MH-6X is an optionally manned or unmanned aircraft which is a hybrid of the ULB demonstrator and the A/MH-6M mission-enhanced Little Bird which is used by US Army Special Operations Command.[6]Шаблон:Unreliable source?
Boeing funded the development program itself; it intends to market the aircraft for both military and homeland security roles within the U.S. and internationally.[5] The aircraft is estimated to cost US$2 million.[4] The systems related to the unmanned flight capabilities have also been designed to be able to be installed in any other helicopter as well, including the Apache.[4][5] An Unmanned Little Bird performed a fully autonomous flight in June 2010, including avoiding obstacles using LIDAR.[7][8]
In 2009, it was reported that Boeing was working on the "AH-6S Phoenix" for the US Army's restarted ARH program, named Armed Aerial Scout. The AH-6S design is stretched by Шаблон:Convert to allow room for other ARH crew shot down in combat to be recovered. The aircraft also would feature an extended aerodynamic nose to house avionics hardware. AH-6S cockpit and main rotor composite blades are to be based the AH-64D Block III. The AH-6S will have an improved tail rotor and a more powerful Rolls-Royce 250-CE30 engine.[9][10] The Little Bird has an endurance of 12 hours and carries a maximum mission payload of Шаблон:Convert.[6]
The AH-6i is the export version of the AH-6S. The AH-6i first flew on September 16, 2009.[11] Jordan has expressed interest in ordering the AH-6i in May 2010.[12] In October 2010 Saudi Arabia requested 36 AH-6i aircraft with related equipment and weapons from the United States through a Foreign Military Sale.[13][14] Kaman Corporation is developing a retrofittable graphite epoxy rotorblade for the AH-6.[15]
In summer 2011, an H-6U performed autonomous landings on a moving truck bed for French companies Thales and DCNS for France's General Directorate for Armament, in preparation for sea trials on a French frigate in 2012.[16][17]
In October 2012, the AH-6i completed a flight demonstration for the U.S. Army in anticipation of the Armed Aerial Scout program. While the AH-6i is aimed at international customers, Boeing intends to offer it for the program.[18] The Army ended the AAS program in late 2013.[19]
In December 2012, Boeing demonstrated the Unmanned Little Bird version of the AH-6 to the South Korean Army. The aircraft flew autonomously for 25 minutes to demonstrate the unmanned system's capabilities that can be integrated into Army MD 500 Defender helicopters.[20]
In September 2013, Aurora Flight Sciences and Boeing offered the H-6U Little Bird for the U.S. Marine Corps unmanned lift intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capability competition. Boeing, working as a subcontractor, was flying the Little Bird without human input, but with a pilot on board to comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations during testing near Manassas, Virginia. The H-6U is competing against the unmanned Kaman K-MAX, which has a usable external payload of Шаблон:Convert and has been used in theater to resupply Marines. Evaluations were to begin in February 2014 at Marine Corps Base Quantico.[21]
Marines at Quantico announced they had successfully landed an unmanned Little Bird, as well as a K-MAX, autonomously using a mini-tablet computer in April 2014. The helicopters were equipped with technology called the Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS), which combines advanced algorithms with LIDAR and electro-optical/infrared sensors to enable a person holding a tablet to select a point to land the helicopter at an unprepared landing site. Autonomous landing without the need for remote control or tele-operation reduces operator burden and allows them be resupplied or conduct other missions like medical evacuation around the clock. The AACUS weighs Шаблон:Convert, so it can be easily integrated onto other aircraft like the CH-53E Super Stallion and V-22 Osprey. According to Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, Chief of Naval Research, operational use of the system could be possible by 2015–2016.[22] The Office of Naval Research selected Aurora Flight Sciences and the Unmanned Little Bird to complete development of the prototype AACUS system over Lockheed and the K-MAX.[23]
Variants
- Unmanned Little Bird (ULB)
- UAV demonstrator
- A/MH-6X Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB)
- AH-6I
- Version of the AH-6S for export.
- AH-6S Phoenix
- Proposed version of the AH-6 for the US Army's Armed Aerial Scout program.[9]
Operators
- Saudi Arabian National Guard (12, 24 on order)[25][26]
- Royal Thai Army (8 on order, contract worth US$103.8 million)[27][28] Contract involves Korean Air on behalf of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS).[29] Sale officially confirmed on January 5, 2024.[30]
Specifications (ULB/MD530F)
See also
References
External links
- Unmanned Little Bird page on Boeing site
Шаблон:Boeing rotorcraft Шаблон:US helicopters
- ↑ "Boeing Unveils Low-Cost, Versatile 'Little Bird' That Can Fly Manned or as UAV". Boeing, October 25, 2004. Retrieved: February 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Boeing Apache and Unmanned Little Bird Demonstrator Test Expands UAV Control". Boeing, April 12, 2006. Retrieved: February 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Boeing Unmanned Little Bird Demonstrator Helicopter Flies Unmanned for First Time". Boeing, July 12, 2006. Retrieved: February 21, 2015.
- ↑ 4,0 4,1 4,2 Kress, Adam. "Boeing's Little Bird flys high by remote control". Phoenix Business Journal, January 28, 2005. Accessed August 27, 2008.
- ↑ 5,0 5,1 5,2 "Boeing Manned/Unmanned Light Helicopter Makes First Flight". Boeing, October 9, 2006. Retrieved: February 21, 2015.
- ↑ 6,0 6,1 "Army Technology-Unmanned Little Bird project". army-technology.com
- ↑ Spice, Byron. Researchers Help Develop Full-Size Autonomous Helicopter Шаблон:Webarchive Carnegie Mellon, 6 July 2010. Retrieved: 19 July 2010.
- ↑ Koski, Olivia. "In a First, Full-Sized Robo-Copter Flies With No Human Help". Wired, 14 July 2010. Retrieved: 19 July 2010.
- ↑ 9,0 9,1 "Boeing's new Phoenix rises from ARH ashes". Flight International, 7 January 2009.
- ↑ "Boeing Offers Army Two ARH Alternatives". Aviation Week, 8 January 2009.
- ↑ "Boeing AH-6i Light Attack/Reconnaissance Helicopter Makes 1st Flight". Boeing, October 7, 2009.
- ↑ "Jordan to buy AH-6is" Шаблон:Webarchive. AirForces Monthly, 14 May 2010.
- ↑ "Saudi Arabia – AH-64D APACHE, UH-60M BLACKHAWK, AH-6i Light Attack, and MD-530F Light Turbine Helicopters". US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, 20 October 2010.
- ↑ Bruno, Michael. "U.S. To Sell F-15s With AESA To Saudi Arabia". Aviation Week, 21 October 2010.
- ↑ TRAUTVETTER, Chad. "Kaman Aerospace’s Unmanned K-Max Reports for Duty" Шаблон:Webarchive AIN online, 13 February 2012. Retrieved: 22 August 2012.
- ↑ Thisdell, Dan. Thales, DCNS ready sea borne trials of unmanned rotorcraft Flight Global/ElectronicsWeekly, 15 November 2011. Accessed: 25 November 2011.
- ↑ Thales completes successful flight demonstration for full automatic landing and deck landing of one-ton class rotary wing UAVs Шаблон:Webarchive Thales, 14 June 2011. Accessed: 25 November 2011.
- ↑ "Boeing demonstrates AH-6i for US Army". Flightglobal.com, 23 October 2012.
- ↑ Outgoing General: US Army Must Continue To Fund Research and Development - Defensenews.com, 14 January 2014
- ↑ Little Bird demo for the Republic of Korea. SUASNews.com, 14 December 2012
- ↑ USMC Unmanned Lift Competition Taking Shape - Defensenews.com, 25 September 2013.
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Aurora beats Lockheed bid to develop iPad-based UAS controller - Flightglobal.com, 6 May 2014
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Carey, Bill. "Boeing Wins FMS Contract to Supply AH-6is To Saudi Arabia Шаблон:Webarchive" AINonline, 2 September 2014.
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ https://www.janes.com/defence-news/defence/latest/us-confirms-ah-6i-sale-to-thailand
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