Lockheed Martin Integrates Unmanned Aerial Systems To Extinguish Fire

Lockheed Martin has demonstrated integrating Unmanned K-MAX helicopter, Stalker XE small unmanned aircraft system (UAS), and UAS Traffic Management (UTM) systems work together to extinguish fire.

During the demonstration on Nov. 18, theStalker XE UAS provided data and a precise geo-location to the unmanned K-MAX cargo helicopter, which conducted water drops to extinguish a fire, while the UTM tracked the UAS operations and communicated with Air Traffic Control in real time, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

"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," Paul Engola, Vice President, Transportation & Financial Solutions.

The Stalker XE UAS worked in tandem with K-MAX to identify hot spots and fire intensity with its electro-optical, infrared camera. Its stable, high definition imaging capabilities enable day and night operations. Powered by a ruggedized solid oxide fuel cell, Stalker XE achieves more than eight hours of flight endurance.