TECHTALK

January 2005

Unmanned ‘Little Bird’ Could See Combat

edited by Robert H. Williams

The Army is eyeing a modified MD 530F Little Bird helicopter that can be flown by remote control. The unmanned aerial vehicle would be used to re-supply combat troops and as a weapons platform.

The manufacturer, the Boeing Company, in Mesa, Ariz., already has tested a prototype aircraft, a spokesman said.

“The unmanned Little Bird offers potential operators a low cost, multi-purpose aircraft … an easily deployable asset on future battlefields,” said Waldo Carmona, who heads the company’s Advanced Army Systems division.

Another possible candidate for the autonomous flight control system is the AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter.

Back To Top