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Lockheed Martin Plans UCAR Compound Helicopter Downselected for Phase II preliminary design of the Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR), Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, Owego proposes a Low-Observable compound helicopter with a fly-away cost 20 to 40% that of the RAH-66 Comanche and Operating and Support costs 20 to 40% those of the AH-64D Longbow Apache. According to Lockheed Martin UCAR director Dan Rice, the compound configuration provided the desired speed and agility at lower gross weight than conventional helicopters and tilt rotors. The four-phase UCAR initiative sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the US Army aims to field an autonomous/collaborative UAV to complement manned battlefield systems in the Army's Objective Force around 2015. Controlled from the ground Future Combat System or airborne Comanches, Apaches, or A2C2S Black Hawks, the UCAR is meant to improve the survivability of manned systems in combat, and enhance the situational awareness of digitized Units of Action and Units of Engagement in the Objective Force. Competitive Phase I trade studies have won two teams Phase II preliminary design and risk reduction contracts continuing from August 2003 to September 2004. DARPA and the Army expect to select one team for a 30-month Phase III to build and fly two demonstrator systems and perform additional risk reduction demonstrations. The program will use Horizontal Technology Integration to exploit weapons and sensors under development for other platforms. System maturation and demonstration in Phase 4 may support a production system design and development program.
The Lockheed Martin Owego business unit leads a team including Bell Helicopter Textron responsible for the UCAR air vehicle and Whitney, Bradley and Brown for Objective Force mission analysis. Other Lockheed Martin units on the UCAR team include LM Aeronautics (Skunk Works) for LO aerostructures, LM Advanced Technology Laboratories for sensor and data fusion, LM Missile and Fire Control for sensor and weapons development including Assisted Target Recognition, and LM Advanced Concepts for joint warfighting analysis. Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems sector will also lead a UCAR preliminary design team including Kaman for the air vehicle, L3 Communications for datalinks and networks, and BAE Systems for advanced mission management. Other Northrop Grumman UCAR team members include Electronic Systems for advanced sensors and integration, Mission Systems for Army mission systems and advanced logistics) and Information Technology for information fusion and Army Objective Force Consolidated Operations. |
