The United States Army chosen Near Earth Autonomy to lead a brand-new $15 Million program to develop and field an additionally piloted objected to logistics option by retrofitting UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters with innovative autonomy kits.This Army Program Executive Office, Aviation (PEO Aviation) financed effort is a partnership in between Near Earth and Honeywell, designed to transform existing airplane into uncrewed, high-tempo logistics platforms.
At the heart of the program is a modular retrofit kit that will allow 24/7, uncrewed, high-tempo operations without the requirement for onboard crew, remote pilots, or continuous data links.The result minimizes risk to personnel while taking full advantage of operational tempo and logistics throughput.The initiative develops a repeatable, scalable process to retrofit a broad range of rotary-wing platforms, permitting the Army to prevent long acquisition cycles and open brand-new capabilities from tradition aircraft.
The UH-60L is the very first targeted platform, but the architecture is designed for adaptability across fleets.Near Earths deterministic autonomy architecture, Captain, is main to the program.
Developed for mission assurance in complex, broken down environments, Captain makes it possible for safe flight and threat avoidance without the need for an onboard team, remote pilot, or continuous data link, a vital capability in GPS and comms-denied scenarios.
The program is developed utilizing a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) to make sure modularity, cost-efficiency, and ease of future advancement and maintenance.This brand-new effort develops on over a years of self-governing logistics breakthroughs by Near Earth.
In 2010, Near Earth was accountable for the worlds initially completely self-governing helicopter flight, performed for the United States Armys Combat Medic Evacuation program, a milestone in aviation autonomy.
The company likewise developed the autonomy system for the Office of Naval Researchs Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) program, which proved that uncrewed helicopters might safely browse, land, and provide freight in unprepared and dangerous environments without pilot input or facilities, a crucial recognition of autonomous logistics at the tactical edge.This program is a substantial advance for Army logistics and autonomy, stated Sanjiv Singh, CEO of Near Earth.
Were proud to bring our proven helicopter autonomy experience to bear and delighted to see it operationalized at scale to support soldiers in the field.Our avionics provides a modular, certifiable foundation that aligns with both todays operational pace and tomorrows autonomy objectives, said Matt Milas, President, Defense - Space, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies.Whether for piloted, optionally piloted, or completely autonomous aircraft, our systems scale to satisfy evolving military needs with a certifiable foundation.Honeywell is working along with Near Earth to form an autonomy solution that is not just budget friendly however also scalable and certifiable for future missions.
Structure on its proven avionics platformsincluding the flight decks, Compact Fly-by-Wire system, and Navigation SystemsHoneywell provides missioncritical technologies that are engineered for both retrofit and next-generation airplane.
These services are created to fulfill todays operational requirements while allowing a long-lasting shift towards uncrewed and highly autonomous flight.Near Earth began working towards an unmanned Black Hawk in 2021, constructing on its legacy of development and success throughout the Department of Defense.
Its autonomy systems have powered over 10,000 flights on over 140 different airframes, consisting of platforms from Airbus, Bell, Boeing, Kaman, and Leonardo.The Army will work with Near Earth to establish new operational procedures for autonomous logistics by carrying out a series of self-governing flights resulting in a fully grown, mission-ready item for uncrewed aerial logistics, one that strengthens the Armys capability to run in objected to and complex theaters, with speed, scale, and safety.Source: Near Earth Autonomy