Sikorsky's Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter with the Matrix autonomy system demonstrates contested logistics
resupply without humans on board at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground, October 2022.[Courtesy: Rain]
Key Takeaways:
Autonomous aviation startup Rain and Sikorsky are collaborating to deploy optionally piloted Black Hawk helicopters equipped with advanced autonomy for wildfire fighting.
The system combines Sikorsky's Matrix autonomy suite with Rain's Wildfire Mission Autonomy System to enable uncrewed aircraft to rapidly detect, plan, and suppress wildfires.
This partnership aims to provide quick response capabilities, increase coverage in hard-to-reach areas, and significantly reduce the economic cost of wildfire suppression.
Rain projects that a network of these autonomous aircraft could potentially eliminate catastrophic wildfires in California by the end of the decade, offering billions in annual savings.
Correction: The Matrix autonomy suite is a product of Sikorsky, not Rain, as an earlier version of this story stated.
In Maui, firefighting pilots came to the rescue when wildfires decimated the Hawaiian island last month. But they could soon face stiff competition from autonomous helicopters.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
