DARPA/Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter goes pilotless for logistics and rescue missions
The DARPA demonstration was conducted at Yuma Proving Ground. (Photo: Sikorsky)
Without pilots on board, the autonomous Black Hawk helicopter performed long-endurance medical resupply while navigating between mountain ranges.
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Sikorsky are advancing development of an uncrewed UH-60 Black Hawk and have demonstrated to the US Army how the helicopter flying autonomously can perform logistic and rescue missions.
Part of DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) project, the experiment was conducted in October under Project Convergence 2022 (PC22) at the army’s Yuma Proving Ground (Arizona).
Without pilots on board, the autonomous Black Hawk performed long-endurance medical resupply while navigating between mountain ranges. It flew 134km loaded with 227kg) of real and simulated blood.
On reaching 64km from its take-off point,
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