India eyes drones that helicopters can launch, control and send 80km into enemy territory

Helicopter-launched loitering munitions are quickly becoming the next big frontier in aerial warfare, and recent trials are showing just how far the concept has come. At Project Convergence Capstone 6, a US Army H-60M Black Hawk crew successfully executed a rocket-powered launch of the Altius-700, deploying a hunter-killer team that autonomously located a target, shared data across the formation, and carried out a strike, all without putting the helicopter crew in harm's way. It marks another meaningful step toward fielding what the US Army calls launched effects, pushing sensors and weapons deeper into contested airspace while keeping manned aircraft further back from danger.Israel, too, has been busy on this front, a private firm in has developed a modular aerial launch system that lets both utility and attack helicopters deploy its Hero-120 loitering munition.