Future Weapons: AH-6X Little Bird UAV

An unmanned Little Bird helicopter could fly nap-of-the-earth autonomously using software-enabled control (SEC) technology developed for unmanned air vehicles under a US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and US Air Force Research Laboratory project. The software enables a UAV to fly low, hugging the terrain, determining safe landing zones using vision-based algorithms and avoiding known and pop-up threats. Boeing's SEC developers are evaluating the Little Bird, based on MD Helicopters' MD530F Maverick; an unmanned variant of the Robinson R22; and the A160 Hummingbird rotary-wing UAV. SEC is a standards-based middleware that could be used for complex mission management.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Unmanned
• Aerial
• Vehicle
• Future
• Weapons
• AH6X
• Little
• Bird

[raulpiiber]

What song plays at 0:43

[MH6M]

Probably made by Discovery it self.

[JoelD311]

What happens when an RPG is coming at you and there's special forces sitting on the skids and theres not a human flying it? I doubt a computer can maneuver evasively like an experienced pilot.

[MH6M]

Spot on friend. Another example is: would you want a robot to carry out a gun run like "danger close" ....

[DreadnoughtFIN]

If the Little Bird is sent on recon, how can it defend itself against enemy AA-fire and SAM? It's a light helicopter and I doubt it can take very much punishment...

[MH6M]

speed and stealth

[phonix032]

lol i can see it now....

achmed! achmed! do u see that, that attack helicopter is flying with no pilot, what in allah's name is it?" achmed says' RUN! RUN! RUN!, OMAR ITS A TERMINATOR!!! , TRUST ME I SAW MOVIE, Terminator rise of machines, RUN BEFO......( GUN FIRING)

[ctagzfsx]

i wonder if the uav system is more expensive then the apache

[JAEProductions1]

awesome! reminds me of the UAV from battlefield: bad company 2

[cameronskater15]

The AH-6X should be able to be controlled out of a UH-60 Black Hawk and the new UH-1Y and the AH-1Z Viper. for Marine use. You should also be able to control Fire Scout UAV's from these helicopters.

[ipodplaya]

@DreadnoughtFIN If you fly under about 100 meters off of the ground, you are undetectable by radar.

[kilkun]

@MH6M Actually I would. I understand that the pilots are well over-trained but the AI can easily aim much better.

[SHotCOMeSinE]

@Brandonx50 yes so true little kids who don't know what the hell they are talking about and get their info off of cod games

[HoBoeJoe2]

@JoelD311 you have to remember that humans are still flying it, just not sitting in the cockpit.

[YanMcDanish]

@JoelD311 A person is still flying it, just from a remote location

[Brandonx50]

Kids should never have youtube.

[pommyrooter]

Modern Warfare = Gay and Fictional.

This is reality, please figure out the difference.

[falcon5300]

What is it with people and modern warfare 2? Jeez get a life