The U.S. Army is working to improve the nexgen Apache Block III helicopter through greater ability to control UAVs, advanced networking, and power and maneuverability upgrades. A Limited User Test for the Block III Apache is slated for November.

Among the key improvements will be the ability of an Apache pilot to control a nearby UAV. Through a program called Video UAS Interoperability Teaming (VUIT-2), Apache pilots can view UAV footage, but not control its direction. “VUIT-2 is essentially a level two UAS control which gives the ability to take streaming video from a UAV and view it from the cockpit of the Apache. The Block III Apache will go to level 4, which is not just the ability to view the footage but also control the sensors and the routing of the UAV as well. That will be truly the next-generation technology,” said U.S. Army Col. Shane Openshaw, Apache program manager. The Army is also looking to install the best lightweight armor composites available onto the Block III Apache during the reset process. Apache-maker Boeing is working closely with the Army on Block III development. Responding to battlefield requests from war zone commanders, the U.S. Army is sending an addition battalion of 20 Apaches to Afghanistan later this year, Openshaw said.

(Source: Army Times)