For the first time, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter flew completely autonomously. The historic feat was carried out last Saturday (05) by Sikorsky in partnership with DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) as part of the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) project.
The two organizations have been working on the project for six years. Although they have already performed flights with the Black Hawk flying entirely on its own, this is the first time that the helicopter has flown autonomously and completely empty.
“This capability will allow pilots to confidently switch between autonomous and piloted modes at any point in their mission with the simple push of a button,” said Benjamin Williamson, lead test pilot.
“This will autonomous flight during a wide range of missions, such as flight in visually degraded environments (DVE) and confined areas. More critically, ALIAS will be able to automatically detect and prevent dangerous situations that lead to accidents, saving lives.” continued the pilot.
“ALIAS represents a leap forward in autonomy for a variety of systems,” said Igor Cherepinsky, Director of Sikorsky Innovations at Lockheed Martin. “We started with the core architecture and software of Sikorsky's MATRIX™ technology to design extensible and flexible systems for ALIAS that have flown on nine different military and commercial aircraft. We are confident that this next generation of enhanced flight controls will create new approaches to the battlefield of the future and enable credible commercial scenarios such as urban air mobility.”
There is a switch on the helicopter called "switch 210," Cherepinsky told reporters during a virtual press conference on Tuesday. The key indicates how many pilots are present on the aircraft and for the first time before a flight the instrument has been reset.
The first flight without pilots lasted 30 minutes and was carried out at the army base of Fort Campbell, in the state of Kentucky. The aircraft made another fully autonomous flight on Monday.
The Black Hawk performed pre-flight checks, took off and ed through a simulated Light Detection and Range (LiDAR) system depicting the congested and complex skyline of New York City. The helicopter responded completely autonomously to simulated skyscrapers ing through Manhattan, according to Cherepinsky. Then the aircraft landed on its own.
Jay Macklin, a retired US Army Black Hawk pilot, says this transformational technology equips aircrews to excel in tough situations — or avoid them altogether.
"Sikorsky's advances in automation and flight range will be critical for Army airmen and ground commanders, particularly as the Army looks to modernize its helicopter fleet with the Future Vertical Lift," said the retired military man who currently leads business development for Sikorsky's Future Vertical Lift and Innovations programs.
“This technology will provide commanders and aircrews with a strategic advantage in combating complex new threat environments.”
According to Lockheed Martin, owner of Sikorsky, ALIAS technology ensures greater mission flexibility, increases safety and allows end s to reimagine how they can use air vehicles on current and future battlefields.
The technology is not limited to a Black Hawk and is currently being incorporated into commercial and military fixed-wing aircraft. ALIAS will continue to advance optionally piloted technology with two additional aircraft demonstrations in the coming months.
According with the doctor. Stuart Young, DARPA ALIAS Program Manager, “The potential of ALIAS to transform warfare is limitless, whether we are talking about unmanned or manned platforms. By reducing workload, increasing security, enabling new missions, these demos show what ALIAS has to offer for the transition to our services.”
