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 retrofitted UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter over Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The Black Hawk, equipped with Sikorsky Matrix autonomy technology, autonomously navigated a simulated cityscape, performed complex maneuvers, and executed a perfect landing.
The ALIAS program aims to reduce pilot workload, enhance operational flexibility for various missions (including difficult conditions and with reduced or no crew), and prevent accidents.
A primary goal is to transition this autonomous flight technology to the U.S. Army to develop new autonomy requirements and capabilities.

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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.