One Million Pounds for K-MAX

Two unmanned K-MAX helicopters have delivered more than one million pounds of cargo in less than four months of service in Afghanistan, the US Marine Corps announced on 9 May 2012. The helicopters will now remain in theater until September on a deployment extension. The aircraft, a joint effort by Lockheed Martin and Kaman Aerospace, is the first unmanned helicopter to deliver cargo and resupply troops in a combat zone. The two helos have been averaging six missions per day, with record load deliveries ranging from a single 4,200-pound sling load to 28,800 pounds lifted in a single day. The two K—MAX helicopters are averaging less than one maintenance man-hour per flight hour during the deployment.