US Marine Corps Tests Using Helicopter as Mobile Drone Command Center

US Marine Corps tests using helicopter as mobile drone command center

The U.S. Marine Corps is testing new ways to combine low-cost drones with traditional aircraft, having recently paired a UH-1Y Venom helicopter with an attack drone in a recent Southern California exercise. During the test, Marines launched a Neros Archer first-person-view, or FPV, drone from the ground before transferring control to operators aboard a helicopter orbiting miles away, the Corps announced in a statement last week, saying that the …

Miramar Marines test helicopters as 'motherships' for launching deadly drones

Marines aboard a UH-1Y Venom toss a drone into the air over Twentynine Palms on May 13. (Photo by Sgt. Symira Bostic/Marine Corps) In what the Marine Corps called “a significant leap forward for aerial warfare,” pilots from Miramar are testing the use of combat drones launched from helicopters operating far from targets. Marine UH-1Y Venom reconnaissance helicopters and AH-1Z Viper gunships now have the capability of acting as airborne drone “mo…

US Marines are exploring using helicopters as 'airborne motherships' and flying command posts for FPV drones

Launching the drones from helicopters extends their reach and allows the aircraft to operate at further distances.US Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Symira BosticUS Marines tested deploying and controlling FPV drones from helicopters.They also passed control of a drone launched by ground forces to a helicopter miles away.These practices could deliver advantages in combat for Marines.US Marines have been trying out new roles for their H-1 helicopters,…

U.S. Marines turn UH-1 helicopter into a flying drone command post

U.S. Marines demonstrated a new airborne drone relay tactic during a recent exercise, using UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters as flying command posts to extend the range and lethality of first-person view strike drones well beyond what ground operators can achieve. Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Air Group 39, and 3rd Marine […]

Miramar Marines Turn Choppers Into Killer Drone Motherships in Desert Test

Out in the desert near Twentynine Palms last Wednesday, Miramar-based Marines took a big step into the drone-heavy future of combat, turning their UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters into airborne "motherships" for small, strike-capable first-person-view drones. In the demonstration, a Neros Archer FPV drone launched from the ground, then was taken over mid-flight by a UH-1Y crew, showing how cheap, expendable drones can stretch a helicopter…