The firm, Tactical Aerospace Group, has developed recoilless technology for use on a range of UAVs. The Los Angeles-based company said the technology would enable the installation of a 7.62 mm machine gun on an unmanned helicopter.

TAG has signed an agreement with Australia's Recoilless Technologies International to develop a recoilless weapons package for their aircraft. Executives said the agreement was designed to enhance the effectiveness of UCAV weaponization programs.

"Initial efforts will be directed towards 7.62 armament with future attention towards other calibers, grenade launchers and other fire power that might be adapted or suitable for this aircraft," TAG said in a recent statement.

TAG has already been developing capability for the unmanned helicopter to fire a 2.75 inch missile. Executives said the latest project was meant to provide a first strike capability in urban warfare missions. Both the helicopter and the weapons system consist of titanium and composites.

"The concept is to keep the warfighter out of harms way and let the machines take all the risk" TAG military liasion Peter Adler said.

Adler said the unmanned helicopter could be used in a range of urban operations. He said the UCAV, transported by a Humvee vehicle, could rapidly approach its target and fire a salvo toward a room filled with enemy operatives.

"RTI has the skills and capability to develop a recoilless ballistic armament system for TAG's UAVs that will not only satisfy the capability requirements of detect first, but combine the much needed strike first capability without placing valuable human resources in harm's way or disrupting the flight pattern of the TAG rotary wing UAVs," Richard Giza, chairman of RTI and inventor of the technology, said. "This is simply the first step of the realization of a larger capability enhancement for all allied forces."

Executives said the unmanned helicopter, which was not named, could be combined with other unmanned attack systems. They said the development of light unmanned attack helicopters could be used in a swarm attack against enemy combatants.

Executives said the introduction of recoilless weapons would enable the deployment of light weaponized UAVs. They said this would allow the UAVs to fire while in motion.