K-MAX Titan first flight
Kaman Air Vehicles has conducted the first flight of the K-MAX Titan, an upgraded K-MAX Unmanned Aerial System. Kaman Aerospace Corps. expects to flight-test the two US Marine Corps similarly upgraded K-MAX aircraft in May 2021.
The new K-MAX Titan system will be available for existing K-MAXs as well as on new production K-MAX UAS rotary wings as Kaman Aerospace said in its press release. The K-MAX is a rugged, low-maintenance unmanned helicopter that features a counter-rotating rotor system and is optimized for repetitive external load operations. The UAS can lift up to 6,000 pounds (2,722 kilograms) with unmatched performance in hot and high conditions.
Currently, Kaman is upgrading the autonomous capabilities of the two USMC K-MAXs through a funded government contract. The duo is being upgraded with the Titan system and Near Earth Autonomy’s sensor-based autonomy suite.
As Seapower reports, the USMC acquired two K-MAX as cargo resupply UAS, which it designated as CQ-24As. The system consists of two helicopters, and main operating base and forward operating base ground control stations (GCS), and associated ground support equipment and spares. The USMC conducted evaluations of the K-MAX to fill its requirement for an unmanned ability to deliver/retrograde cargo to forward operating bases while avoiding the use of convoys over dangerous routes.
In November 2011, the USMC deployed the CQ-24As as a government-owned, contractor-operated (GoCo) system into Afghanistan for a six-month evaluation in combat conditions. The deployment was extended through May 2014. The two K-MAXs, along with the forward GCS and the ground support, were delivered to Marine Operational Test And Evaluation Squadron (VMX) One in 2016 to support further cargo UAS experimentation and concept of operations development. In April 2019, Kaman was awarded a contract to replace the avionics in the CQ-24s and return them to flight status. The serials of the two aircraft are A11496/FF-01 and A11497/FZ-02.
Photo by USMC / Pfc. George Melendez