A UH-60A Black Hawk Just Flew With No Pilot On Board

DARPA's Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System program conducted the unmanned autonomous demonstration flight.

Kimberly Johnson

Wednesday, February 09, 2022 at 03:52 PM ET

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The helicopter was retrofitted with Sikorsky Matrix autonomy technology. [Courtesy: Lockheed Martin]

Key Takeaways:

DARPA's ALIAS program successfully conducted the first uncrewed, autonomous 30-minute flight of a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter using Sikorsky Matrix technology.
During the flight, the Black Hawk autonomously navigated a simulated cityscape, performed complex maneuvers, and executed a perfect landing.
This automation aims to reduce pilot workload, increase operational flexibility (e.g., in challenging conditions), and enhance safety by preventing dangerous situations.

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A UH-60A Black Hawk recently took a 30-minute flight over Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with no pilot or crew on board. In fact, no one was on board the helicopter at all, according to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The February 5 uncrewed flight of the Army Black Hawk helicopter retrofitted with automation technology—a first for the aircraft—was conducted by DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program.