US Army to adopt drones to deliver ammunition to the battlefield

The US Army plans to adopt unmanned aerial vehicles designed to deliver ammunition and provisions to units on the battlefield. According to Defense News, the troops should receive new drones by 2026.

The US Army has announced a tender for the supply of special transport drones to the troops to deliver ammunition to the battlefield. Companies wishing to take part in the army tender must submit their proposals by February 12, 2021 inclusive.

The devices submitted for the competition must meet several requirements: the mass of the drone must not exceed 590 kg with the ability to transport cargo weighing up to 363 kg at a distance of up to 177 km. The design of the drone should allow it to be ready for 15 minutes after transportation.

In addition, drones must be able to make automatic takeoff and landing, as well as navigate a route autonomously in GPS jamming mode. Another requirement is the modular design and open architecture of the drone.

In 2017, the US Army's Pikatinskiy Arsenal, engaged in repair and improvement weapons, patented a method for delivering ammunition using special mortar mines fired by a conventional mortar.

The new mine is a special cargo container to which a compartment with a launch charge, a stabilizer, a small paraglider and a navigation system is attached.

After launching from a mortar, the container at the highest point of its trajectory will release a paraglider and use it to plan to a predetermined target. Targeting will be done by GPS. Nothing is said about the delivery distance, it is assumed that it will be about 7-8 km.

Comments

[OgnennyiKotik]

the mass of the drone should not exceed 590 kg with the ability to transport cargo weighing up to 363 kg at a distance of up to 177 km

With such parameters, it will be able to be equipped with reconnaissance and strike weapons, quickly evacuate the wounded, and deliver any cargo.
In December, the Turks tested a UAV with the same Alpin concept

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The curb weight of the Alpin UAV is 340 kg. The helicopter can carry cargo and fuel up to 160 kg (takeoff weight 500 kg). The length of the apparatus is 7 m, width - 1,5 m, height - 2,35 m. Rotor diameter - 6,28 m. Alpin is adapted for convenient transportation on a wheeled platform. Alpin is equipped with a 914 hp Rotax 115 UL engine. It provides a maximum cruising speed of 160 km / h (permissible speed 209 km / h), a climb speed of 5 m / s and a ceiling without the influence of the ground 2,5 km. The helicopter is equipped with a 180 liter fuel tank. With a flow rate in horizontal flight of 25 l / h, it provides significant autonomy (7 hours) and flight range (840 km).

[Thrifty]

Fire cat - you need to make a line of drones, highly specialized, alone only for evacuating the wounded from the battlefield to the rear, partially booking from the inside, to protect the wounded at least from small arms, deliver other purely transport products there, water or the same medications, others for the delivery of ammunition. And so, one does everything, this is the wrong approach.

[OgnennyiKotik]

Quote: Thrifty

you need to make a line of drones, highly specialized, one only for evacuation

In no case. We need different modules. Reconnaissance module, with weapons, transport, "armored" for transporting the wounded.
It is simply not possible to operate, deploy, repair several types of drones. Moreover, tasks similar to point A to point B transfer 300+ kg.

[Thrifty]

The fiery cat is also an option, but not to blame everything on one car, but to change a purely specialized module, the same medical one, or a container for food, depending on the need!

[Crash]

"Armored" for transporting the wounded

As for me, you need to be a very stubborn fan of drones so that wounded soldiers in the immediate vicinity of the battlefield (!) Trust the UAV. Wheeled drone, tracked - still all right. But it is absolutely stupid to think that the enemy has neither electronic warfare nor a completely seedy MANPADS. Here the turntable is still more reliable

[Crash]

I don't understand the essence of the cons. Unmanned and robotic platforms and are created in order not to compromise life and health of living people... Do you suggest that the wounded soldier, in the event of a system glitch, hit the ground in this very "armored vehicle"? And by the nature of my activity, I deal with glitches of computers and robots every day. And don't tell me that your computer or smartphone has never hung ...

[Runway]

You are "planted", your fighter is "leaving", the rest of this picture does not add spirituality. Do not take the board / armor, do not pull out on foot (4 more people in the negative in the future).
If the fighter cools down, and everyone knew that there was a chance to pull him out to the drone, then I xs, how will the l / s follow you next time.

[Thrifty]

How long will those 363 kilograms of ammunition be enough, even in a local battle? Tons need to be transported, but of course, fast loading, on special pallets, and the same fast unloading. Only if such a drone explodes in the air over its positions, this "shrapnel" will surely send many who find themselves in the sector of defeat to another world. ..

[Asad]

What suggestions do you have?

[Thrifty]

ASAD - read my comments on the branch above, I wrote everything there! !!

[Dodikson]

this is a couple of zinc with cartridges, a dozen ATGMs and a couple of dozen shots for RPGs, and this is a good supply even for a company, and for a platoon it is quite a good supply

[K-612-O]

For a platoon, this is 30 minutes maximum of an intense battle, such bezepetushnikov for a platoon of pieces 5-7 must be released immediately.
The next question is, what if REP suppresses it? A spinner or a small transport vehicle is more reliable. Such toys will work in wars with barmaley, well, maybe even with Latinos and Africans. Bliss is everything

[Dodikson]

you can shoot all this in 5 minutes. another thing is that the enemy will not throw bullets and after these 30 minutes it will take another hour to get ready for a new attack. and a lot can change during this time, from the delivery of new ammunition to the arrival of help.

[Runway]

Payload = weight 1 bq for platoon small arms without shipping container. This is a day of fire fighting.
Suitable for detached units.
It happens that the side cannot be accepted without losing the side, and the ground version of the BMT is not possible (the relief or it is so squeezed that it does not squeak).
In principle, it is also convenient for units in battle formations - there is no need to drive people to the PPP (roughly a third of l / s) - I took to the position and swallow the dust further.

[7,62h54]

It remains to establish the interception of these carriers and a forced landing at a given point.

[APASUS]

I understand the detachment got lost in the mountains, went out to search, in reconnaissance and needed provisions, but the delivery of ammunition to the battlefield by air?
So this is immediately goal number one .................. with all that it implies

[Pereira]

Well, how many of them will fly at the same time in a more or less massive battle of regular troops?

[OgnennyiKotik]

Have other supply options been canceled? This is just another alternative supply.

[Dodikson]

this is not a replacement for the usual delivery of ammunition, it is just an additional method when delivery in the usual way is fraught with losses (the road is shot or mined, or it is necessary to deliver the troops in the environment (the UAV has much more chances to break through than the car)

[voronin]

The American army plans to adopt unmanned aerial vehicles designed to deliver ammunition and provisions to units on the battlefield

I remember that they were already dropping ammunition "accidentally" by bearded "peaceful" rebels.

[Humpty]

Delivery of goods is the most promising direction for UAVs. The manned aircraft will begin to pressurize in the near future (IMHO).

Quote: APASUS

I understand the squad got lost in the mountains

As a variant of the outbreak of "collective talent", so that it will catch on for a long time, a case is, say, unlikely. And on the terrain, it is fatal to tupan, it is very often, but the UAV is unlikely to help with anything.
Surprised, one friend raised a cheap rattler with Ali to 7600. He did not need it higher.

[K-612-O]

From 7k meters even the vogs will detonate themselves

[Petr Vladimirovich]

Perhaps there are fellow model aircraft. Large vert FPV, internal combustion engine. It's clear. But how will he reach the point and then return without GPS or an analog?

[Lord of the Sith]

The American army plans to adopt unmanned aerial vehicles designed to deliver ammunition and provisions to units on the battlefield

And then they will learn to deliver drugs to the battlefield. The fuse in the ass and the mortar
From the cannon to the moon, heh)))

[Dimide]

I read about drones and "see" how the concept of warfare and logistics are changing.
"Robots work, not humans"

[Asad]

Better yet, robots are dying, not humans!

[OgnennyiKotik]

Yes. In addition, this helicopter will be able to deliver a couple of such devices or one larger.

[K-612-O]

Only in battles with barmaley and Papuans. And those then learn to fight. Against a serious enemy, with a developed system of electronic warfare and electronic warfare, this is ridiculous. For the same company, aviation and artillery will first fly, then more turntables will work.

[Dodikson]

and then the enemy's artillery will work out against this artillery, and the aviation will come under air defense fire.
the medal has 2 sides, like the stick has 2 ends.

[rocket757]

That is to provide troops, in battle, with everything they need, this is not a whim.

[IRS]

Drones like this are a great idea. It is simple and effective, and ammunition transport is far from its only application.
The main thing is the essence. Mobility and flexibility of MTOs on the modern battlefield is incredibly important. ... Either you shoot - or you are killed, or you have a first aid kit - or you will not survive. All this will happen very quickly if they start fighting in real life, with the use of all types of troops.

[sen]

The US Army plans to adopt unmanned aerial vehicles designed to deliver ammunition and provisions to units on the battlefield.

There are alternatives in the US. This is an unmanned one-time glider developed by Logistic Gliders Inc
https://topwar.ru/167608-fanernaja-logistika-odnorazovye-transportnye-bpla-ot-logistic-gliders.html
And transport ground robots. There are manufactured samples on wheeled (SMSS, Rex, Probot), caterpillar (Camel, Protector) and even walking (LS3, Big Dog).
http://venture-biz.ru/tekhnologii-innovatsii/186-boevye-roboty
http://torwar.ru/66993-nazemnye-roboty-ot-zabrasyvaemyh-system-do-bezlyudnyh-transportnyh-kolonn-chast-4.html

[tank66]

This is the right gravitational. Alpha-alpha, we have a problem: out of suction and paper ... Hold on, guys, retreat to the 176 km point ... Roger.

[sen]

Another photo of a transport drone

[Sasha from Uralmash]

A very vulnerable thing!