Bell Helicopter's planned V-247 Vigilant unmanned, single-engine armed tiltrotor platform may be a candidate for the Marine Corps' plan for a mega-drone. (Illustration courtesy Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron)
DoD Buzz: Future Marine Mega-Drone May Carry Same Weapons as F-35
The Marine Corps is in the hunt for a mega-drone that can take off and land vertically and deploy aboard ship — all while carrying a serious amount of firepower.
The service is asking a lot as it develops its MUX platform, short for Marine air-ground task force unmanned expeditionary capabilities, with plans to reach initial operational capability by 2026.
The Corps’ deputy commandant for aviation, Lt. Gen. Jon “Dog” Davis, said Wednesday at the Unmanned Systems Defense conference in Arlington, Virginia, that this future platform — a Group 5, the largest class of military drone — will be equipped to fight from sea as well as land.
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WNU Editor: I am willing to bet that such a drone will also be cheaper to build and maintain than an F-35.
