Soldier Remotely Pilots Black Hawk Helicopter with Tablet After One Hour of Training

Remotely Piloted Black Hawk Mission

• 🚁 A US soldier, with only one hour of training, successfully remotely piloted a Black Hawk helicopter.
• 🎯 This soldier was the first not to be a trained test pilot or engineer to independently plan, command, and execute an Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) mission.
• 🗺️ The mission involved using a handheld tablet to control the aircraft.

Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) Capabilities

• ✈️ An OPV is a hybrid aircraft that can operate as a manned craft or be flown remotely as an unmanned aerial vehicle.
• 📍 The test mission, part of the US Department of War's Northern Strike exercises, involved directing a payload to a location 70 nautical miles away.
• 🪂 The soldier also commanded multiple precision airborne drops.

Sikorski's Matrix Flight Autonomy System

• 💡 Rich Benton from Sikorski stated that their new Matrix flight autonomy system could revolutionize military operations.
• 🧑‍✈️ The system provides an in-cockpit automation capability, giving operators control of advanced aviation features previously reserved for trained pilots.
• 📦 An OPV Blackhawk can reduce pilot workload, complete resupply missions without humans, and offer commanders greater resilience and flexibility in contested logistics situations.
• ⚠️ This technology enables missions like resupply and personnel recovery in dangerous or low visibility areas, without putting human life at risk.