Omni-directional munitions handling vehicle

A munitions handling vehicle adapted for loading and unloading weapons in military aircraft, said munitions handling vehicle comprising:

• (a) a vehicle chassis;
• (b) a plurality of wheel axles attached to said vehicle chassis;
• (c) a plurality of omni wheels mounted on respective wheel axles and cooperating to induce omni-directional movement of said vehicle;
• (d) a mechanical lift supported by said vehicle chassis;
• and
• (e) a munitions carrier secured to a top end of said lift, and movable upon actuation of said lift between a weapons-transport position and an aircraft-access position, such that:
• i. in the weapons-transport position, said lift is sufficiently retracted adjacent said vehicle chassis to facilitate transport of weapons in said carrier to and from the aircraft;
• and
• ii. in the aircraft-access position, said lift is sufficiently extended to enable precision loading and unloading of weapons in the aircraft without repositioning or reconfiguring the aircraft;
• and
• (f) said munitions handling vehicle defining a profile measured from an uppermost extremity of said vehicle to a ground surface, said profile being less than 14 inches when said mechanical lift is fully retracted.

A munitions handling vehicle adapted for loading and unloading weapons in military aircraft, said munitions handling vehicle comprising:

• (a) a vehicle chassis;
• (b) a plurality of wheel axles attached to said vehicle chassis;
• (c) a plurality of omni wheels mounted on respective wheel axles and cooperating to induce omni-directional movement of said vehicle;
• (d) a mechanical lift supported by said vehicle chassis;
• and
• (e) a munitions carrier secured to a top end of said lift, and movable upon actuation of said lift between a weapons-transport position and an aircraft-access position, such that:
• i. in the weapons-transport position, said lift is sufficiently retracted adjacent said vehicle chassis to facilitate transport of weapons in said carrier to and from the aircraft, and in the weapons-transport position, said vehicle defines a profile of less than 14 inches measured from an uppermost extremity of said vehicle to a ground surface;
• and
• ii. in the aircraft-access position, said lift is sufficiently extended to enable precision loading and unloading of weapons in the aircraft without repositioning or reconfiguring the aircraft, and in the aircraft-access position, said vehicle defines a maximum reach of greater than 60 inches measured from said munitions carrier to the ground surface.

A method for loading weapons in military aircraft, comprising the steps of:

• (a) transporting a weapon to an aircraft on a munitions handling vehicle, the vehicle comprising a plurality of omni wheels cooperating to induce omni-directional movement of the vehicle;
• (b) with the vehicle located at the aircraft, moving the weapon from a weaponstransport position, wherein the vehicle defines a profile of less than 14 inches measured from an uppermost extremity of the vehicle to a ground surface, to an aircraft-access position, wherein the vehicle defines a maximum reach of greater than 60 inches measured from the ground surface;
• and
• (c) in the aircraft-access position, loading the weapon in the aircraft.