Ubemannet K-MAX på jobb

The Lockheed Martin/Kaman unmanned K-Max has made its first operational flights in Afghanistan, resupplying US Marine Corps troops with cargo.

Tasked by personnel from the Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1, the unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft transferred roughly 1,590kg (3,500lb) of food and supplies from Camp Dwyer to troops at Combat Outpost Payne on 17 December, completing the mission in about 90min, the USMC said.

Its three pallets of supplies would ordinarily have been transferred by road convoy, added the service, which is performing a six-month assessment of the K-Max in Afghanistan before deciding whether to acquire production systems. Foto: USMC