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Army Steps Up Use of Navigation Devices After Deadly Collision

Technology is meant to improve pilots’ awareness of aircraft around them.

Near Earth and Honeywell are partnering to retrofit U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters with autonomy systems.
A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter [Courtesy: U.S. Army]
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Key Takeaways:

  • The U.S. Army is rolling out new navigation devices to its aviation units, starting with the Black Hawk unit involved in a deadly January midair collision, to improve pilots' awareness of other aircraft.
  • This upgrade addresses the lack of a centralized system for detecting other aircraft in some older military models, highlighted by the January 29 collision between an Army Black Hawk and an American Airlines flight that killed all 67 people on board.
  • In response to the crash, Senator Ted Cruz introduced a bill to mandate ADS-B Out and In navigation technology for all civilian and military aircraft, with support from transportation officials.
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The U.S. Army is giving its aviation units new navigation devices, starting with the Black Hawk unit involved in January’s deadly midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA).

According to a Washington Post report, the Army began distributing the devices in June to help improve pilots’ awareness of other aircraft around them. Some older military aircraft, including variants of the Black Hawk, do not have a centralized system that detects and displays the exact location of other aircraft. Instead, pilots rely on information from devices and instruments integrated through a tablet computer carried on board.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.

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