The stage is set for Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to square off in the battle to be the Pentagon's provider of unmanned combat armed rotorcraft (UCAR). After months spentdeveloping concepts, the teams headed by the two defense giants― neither of which builds rotorcraft― are set to undergo a series of critical technology demonstrations to determine the winner of the Pentagon's most ambitious autonomous unmanned aircraft project so far. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency anticipates selecting a team by October to build flying prototypes. Although UCAR is primarily targeted for future Army needs, Darpa has started discussions with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps about potential use of the system, says Donald Woodbury, the agency's program manager.
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