US Army Seeks Industry Help For Manned-Unmanned Teaming Written 28 May 2018

Aviation Today reported that as part of a “new spirit of outreach to industry,” the US Army “wants to know what the private sector can do to better team drones with manned aircraft.” Manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) has been a recent “focus” for the Army, which is working to determine what “products, research, operational concepts and mission support exists that could enhance existing manned-unmanned teaming concepts” as part of a May 17 notice issued by the service. An existing $97 million L3 Technologies contract to “bolster the teaming of Apaches with the Shadow and General Atomics’ MQ-1C Gray Eagle” is cited as part of this trend. The aircraft are working toward a “level of interoperability (LOI) of 5,” where the manned aircraft maintains “full control” of the unmanned aircraft “from takeoff to landing.” Airbus Helicopters successfully completed teaming tests of its H-145M helicopter and a Schiebel S-100 UAV in April. The Airbus tests were the “first MUM-T test for European helicopters to demonstrate LOI 5.”
More Info (Aviation Today)