The US Navy has amended a contract with Lockheed Martin to provide continued in-service support for a pair of Kaman K-Max unmanned helicopters deployed with the US Marine Corps in Afghanistan.

Worth almost $6.7 million, the modification is related to two aircraft which have been used in the unmanned cargo resupply role in the country since November 2011. They had flown more than 1,000 missions by earlier this year, Lockheed says.

 K-Max in Afghan - USMC

US Marine Corps

"Work will be performed in various OCONUS [Outside the Continental US] locations (90%) and Patuxent River, Maryland (10%), and is expected to be completed in September 2013," the US Department of Defense says in a 27 March contract notification.

In July 2012, the USMC extended its planned use of the K-Max aircraft by six months until late March 2013, with a further option to potentially extend this until September. Lockheed says that earlier this year the service requested the type be retained in use for the remainder of the US military's combat involvement in Afghanistan.

Source: Flight International