Rotorcraft
Sikorsky To Add Black Hawk to Autonomy Program
Modified S-76 has logged more than 75 hours of flight testing, including autonomous zone selection and landing.
Sikorsky’s autonomy program, which so far has involved a modified S-76, is about to also have a Black Hawk participating.
Sikorsky’s autonomy program, which so far has involved a modified S-76, is about to also have a Black Hawk participating.

Sikorsky is proceeding with flight-testing more unmanned “autonomous” helicopters, and is planning to add a Black Hawk to its Autonomy Program next year.

The U.S. rotorcraft manufacturer’s Matrix Technology program launched in mid-2013, giving helicopters various degrees of automation. To date, the only Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA) to fly is a modified S-76. It features fly-by-wire controls and a number of sensors and has completed autonomous takeoffs and landings. It has also performed flights where it avoided obstacles and autonomously selected a landing zone.

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