Future Weapons: AH-6X Little Bird UAV
November 19th, 2010 | 
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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.
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@MH6M as long as the gps coordinates are given correctly by the ground crew
@phonix032 lol
@JoelD311
Did they mention doing anything like that? If they did I missed it. I mean it doesn’t make sense to transport people without having someone physically at the controls.
Dear Santa…
@MH6M i agree with u on that but its still pretty kickass to have an unmanned scout ahead of your apache formation
Care package ready for your mark lol!
Best RC as of now(except a Reaper armed with sidewinders of course).
@JoelD311 that may be true but if it hits the little bird you don’t have to go to any families and explain why their son?daughter isn’t coming home
soo creepy
In fact, this program has not been cancelled. Look up “Boeing AH-6″ on Wikipedia.
Care Package
Some kewl technology.
The future weapon is a fucking remote controlled helicopter lol!
I second that evil laugh MWAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!
*rubs hands maniacly*
Great, until you realise that the air defense systems they were targeting had a range of 2km greater than that of a hellfire. This is assuming they’re a basic Tunguska system. If they were versing more advanced systems, the helicopters would be tracked from 25km and engaged from 12 km (50% greater than hellfire range).
I am sure having a mobile spotter would be good in many scenarios, but not the one that Boeing displayed.
The thing i don’t understand about this scenario is that the littlebird is somehow able to get visual on the Anti-aircraft (which would presumably threaten the apache), yet not get shot down by the ads?
Another thing I don’t understand about this scenario is that a basic Russian air defense system has a range of over 10km, while a hellfire from an apache only has a range of 8km. No matter what happens, the air defense system will have a 2km window to kill the apache.
I think the people who are flying the apache are also able to control the littlebird.
What confuses me a little is the following: If the LC is considered too hot for sending in a pilot wouldn’t the extraction be dangerous for the evacuee too?
Looking forward to try this in ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead.
haha >:D imagine what would happen if they did the same to the apache. muahahahAAHAHAHAHAHA
Kuddos for posting this video!!!!
Both. It can be controlled with both methods.
you load a flight plan and it dose it by its self, no remote control from base
i see where your getting at< in the end there’l be jammers that jam the jammers that jam the jammers that jam the jammers and it will keep going on like the number pie (or however you spell it)
I don’t understand: is someone at base flying the helicopter or is it flying itself?