U.S. Marines Test Helicopter Launches and Control of FPV Drones

U.S. Marines tested the use of helicopters to launch and control first-person-view drones during a recent training exercise in California. The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said the tests examined whether helicopters could serve as airborne motherships for launching FPV drones and as aerial command centers for controlling them.

Marines from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 and 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion used two modern H-1 helicopters for the trials.

At the Twentynine Palms testing event, Marines successfully deployed an FPV drone from a moving helicopter. Marines also practiced handing off control of a drone launched by ground forces to a specialized operator team inside a UH-1Y Venom helicopter miles away. The helicopter maintained the connection and flew the drone on to its target, functioning as a flying command post.

The UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter entered service in 2008 as an upgrade to the UH-1N Twin Huey. The AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter replaced the AH-1 SuperCobra. The FPV drone used in the tests can carry different payloads, and its flight range depends partly on how much weight it carries.

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said these approaches offer commanders a scalable, cost-effective option to service a wide range of threats without risking the aircraft or expending expensive munitions on every target. A UH-1Y crew chief said the approach lets drones close with and destroy the enemy rather than putting Marines in harm's way.

The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy have several projects that involve advanced drones flying alongside crewed aircraft.