Avionics
U.S. Army Evaluates Optionally Piloted Flight Deck for Helicopters
SkyOS technology could be used for Black Hawks and other military rotorcraft
Skyryse operating system in Black Hawk helicopter
Skyryse aims to install its SkyOS operating system in Black Hawks and other military helicopters in the U.S. Army fleet.

The U.S. Army is evaluating how an optionally piloted capability could make its helicopter operations more effective, in part by reducing the time required to train pilots. Through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement announced on January 14, Skyryse has begun a project to explore how its SkyOS universal operating system could be installed on the Army’s 2,400 Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters and potentially other rotorcraft too.

The California-based flight automation specialist is now working with Army aviation engineers to assess SkyOS capabilities, including simplified pilot operations and varying levels of flight control autonomy. Skyryse has developed the platform to be aircraft-agnostic with the intent that it could increase interoperability between types in the Army fleet, allowing pilots to switch between rotorcraft with minimal training.