The K-MAX and Stalker worked together to image and put out the fire. Photo: Lockheed Martin.
by AUVSI News
Lockheed Martin announced it had demonstrated how it could use unmanned aircraft in tandem to put out a fire, all while operating as a part of the UAS Traffic Management system being established by NASA.
Operating in Rome, New York, the demonstration used a Stalker XE UAS to supply data and geolocation to an unmanned K-MAX helicopter, which performed a water drop over a small, contained fire. During the operations, the UTM tracked the UAS’ operations and relayed them to air traffic control in real time.
“This demonstration represents the path forward for flying UAS in the NAS using Flight Service-based UTM capabilities to extend the technology and systems that air traffic controllers know and understand,” says Paul Engola, vice president of transportation and financial solutions at Lockheed Martin. “We were able to successfully modify the existing K-MAX and Stalker XE ground control software to connect to the UTM services and conduct the firefighting mission.”
Unmanned aircraft in a firefight have a leg up over manned aircraft, because traditional aircraft are not allowed to fly at night.
The two unmanned aircraft worked together to determine hot spots and the fire’s intensity, using electro-optical/infrared cameras, which allow for high-resolution imagery during the day or at night.
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