A first in the USA: Black Hawk helicopter flew without a pilot for the first time

According to the press service of the Defense Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the American military transport and attack helicopter Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk flew autonomously for the first time without pilots in the cockpit.

The first pilotless flight at Fort Campbell base in Kentucky took place on Feb. It is stated that the second flight on February 7 took 30 minutes, and took place at an altitude of 4,000 feet and a cruising speed of 110 kt (204 km / h).

The military helicopter is equipped with the ALIAS (Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System) system based on Sikorsky Matrix autonomous flight technology. The flight simulated the UH-60A flying between buildings in downtown Manhattan. For this, the Matrix computer in the helicopter was fed fake LiDAR data.

DARPA ALIAS Program Manager Dr. “When the workload is reduced, pilots can focus on mission management rather than mechanics. We’re talking about the unique combination of autonomy software and hardware. This will make flying smarter and safer at the same time,” Stuart Young said in a statement.

Young also added that an aircraft equipped with ALIAS can fly at any time of the day or night and in various difficult conditions, with or without a pilot. The US Army is currently investigating potential use cases for this technology.