http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2010-02/03/content_12923294.htm
美斥資研多款戰機 黑鷹直升機升級為無人駕駛
2010年02月03日 09:04:12 來源：中國新聞網
據香港《明報》報道，美國西科斯基飛機公司(Sikorsky Aircraft)宣布，為應付美軍對軍事科技的需求，將斥資逾10億美元，研制多款戰機，包括計算機化無人駕駛黑鷹直升機，並于年內展示雛型，料于2015年前推出，每架無人駕駛黑鷹直升機造價1700萬美元。
西科斯基飛機公司表示，他們設計的新款黑鷹直升機，可讓軍官選擇是否派遣一至兩名機師，又或不派機師，由計算機全自動駕駛。設計主管范貝伊坦(Chris Van Buiten)說﹕“想象一下黑鷹直升機將變成無人駕駛，執行極度危險的飛行任務，這可減少軍人工作量及遇到的風險，提高美軍作戰力。”無人駕駛黑鷹直升機的造價，將比由人駕駛的黑鷹直升機1500萬美元造價，多出200萬美元。
由于無人駕駛戰機可減少傷亡，美軍對無人駕駛戰機愈來愈感興趣，以降低反戰聲音。西科斯基公司近年因改良軍事直升機技術，過去5年盈利增逾一倍。分析師扎洛加表示，無人駕駛飛機市場是航天界其中一個少數有潛力市場。美國航天技術公司卡曼(Kaman)及洛歇馬丁(Lockheed Martin)上周已展示無人駕駛貨運直升機。專家塔特索爾直言：“要控制視線范圍內的東西，已是一種挑戰；要控制山的另一邊的東西及安全運貨，是一種更大挑戰。”
黑鷹直升機是美軍重用的軍機之一，被派往阿富汗、伊拉克等地執行作戰任務；它亦曾負責救援任務，如拯救被困雪山人士等。（中新網2月3日電）
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100201/ap_on_bi_ge/us_sikorsky_unmanned_black_hawk_2
Sikorsky venture to develop unmanned Black Hawk
By STEPHEN SINGER, AP Business Writer Stephen Singer, Ap Business Writer – Mon Feb 1, 1:08 pm ET
HARTFORD, Conn. – Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. is launching a $1 billion venture featuring a pilot-less Black Hawk helicopter as military demand rises for technology to fight two wars.
The Stratford-based helicopter maker and military contractor announced Monday the creation of Sikorsky Innovations, intended to speed the transformation of the mechanical helicopter into a computerized aircraft.
It also will promote projects that are now designing helicopters to fly faster, simulate vision and monitor their own performance.
The Black Hawk is a military workhorse, used in Afghanistan, Iraq, Grenada in 1983, Panama in 1989 and the Gulf War in 1991. It's also part of military packages sold to other nations and has been used in civilian missions such as rescuing snowbound mountain climbers.
The Black Hawk helicopter, used for air assault and medical evacuation, was featured in the book and movie, "Black Hawk Down," chronicling a battle in Somalia in 1993 when two helicopters were shot down, killing 18 soldiers.
Some of the deadliest crashes involving five Black Hawk helicopters in Iraq killed 51 soldiers between 2003 and 2007. The helicopter is relied upon in Afghanistan, a mountainous nation with long stretches of desert and few decent roads.
Unmanned war planes are not recent, but are drawing interest from commanders trying to reduce casualties while not relenting in combat.
"The new thing here is to apply technologies in small airplanes and rotorcraft to the 20,000-pound Black Hawk," said Chris Van Buiten, director of Sikorsky Innovations. "It ups the stakes."
Mark Miller, vice president of research and engineering at the subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., said officials want to harness Sikorsky's rapid growth — revenue and profit have more than doubled over the past five years — with technological advances that are remaking helicopters.
Sikorsky Innovations can now "change the game" in the manufacturer's next generation of helicopters, he said.
"It will be chartered with doing things quicker, faster and bringing new technology to markets," Miller said.
Sikorsky will design and build an "optionally piloted helicopter" to resupply troops or engage in battle. It will give commanders a choice between operating a Black Hawk with one pilot or two or none.
"We'll let it adapt to the mission," Van Buiten said.
Sikorsky is jumping into a lucrative and growing market. Steven Zaloga, a senior analyst at Teal Group Corp. in Fairfax, Va., said unmanned aerial vehicles represent "one of the few dynamic markets" in the aerospace industry hit hard in the recession.
The Teal Group estimates the global market for unmanned aerial vehicle hardware will rise from $2.9 billion this year to $5.5 billion in 2019, Zaloga said.
Mark Tattershall, director of marketing and business development at Kaman Corp., a Bloomfield, Conn.-based aerospace manufacturer, said Kaman and Lockheed Martin Corp. demonstrated an unmanned cargo helicopter in Utah last week.
"To control something that's within sight is one challenge," he said. "To control something on the other side of a mountain and have it safely put down a load successfully and safely is a big challenge."
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has developed the A160, which is now being tested by the Army and its network of researchers.
Phil Hunt, a program manager at the agency, said challenges include unmanned aircraft seeing and avoiding other aircraft in federally-regulated or military airspace and the potential dangers of carrying weapons at the time of a crash.
Sikorsky Innovations, which over 10 years will spend $1 billion from Sikorsky and its customers, also is researching technologies that would vastly increase a helicopter's speed, enable helicopters to use computers to see through dust storms kicked up during takeoffs and landings, allow helicopters to gather data about their own condition and tailor the performance for quieter and more comfortable rides if necessary.
"We can allow a helicopter to morph itself for each function," Miller said.
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