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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]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The U.S. Army is equipping its aviation units with new navigation devices, starting with the Black Hawk unit involved in a deadly January midair collision near Washington D.C.
  • This initiative aims to improve pilots' awareness of other aircraft, addressing the lack of centralized detection systems in older military aircraft.
  • In response to the crash, a bill has been introduced to mandate ADS-B Out and In navigation technology for all civilian and military aircraft.
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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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