New $15 Million Program Aims to Strengthen Army Operations in Contested Environments with Uncrewed Helicopter Flights
Army Backs Autonomous Black Hawk Retrofit Initiative
The U.S. Army has selected Near Earth Autonomy (Near Earth) to lead a $15 million project to develop and field an optionally piloted contested logistics solution. The program will retrofit UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters with advanced autonomy kits. Funded by Army Program Executive Office, Aviation (PEO Aviation), the project is a collaboration between Near Earth and Honeywell.
The program’s goal is to create a logistics platform capable of 24/7 high-tempo operations without the need for onboard crews, remote pilots, or continuous data links. This minimizes risks to personnel while increasing operational tempo and throughput.
The initiative also sets the foundation for a repeatable, scalable retrofit process. This allows the Army to modernize legacy rotary-wing aircraft quickly, without long acquisition cycles. The UH-60L is the first target, but the design will support adaptability across multiple airframes.
Near Earth’s Captain Architecture at the Core
Central to the retrofit is Near Earth’s deterministic autonomy architecture, called Captain. Captain ensures mission assurance even in degraded environments, such as areas without GPS or reliable communications.
Captain enables safe flight and hazard avoidance without human pilots or live remote control. The system uses a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) to ensure modularity, affordability, and easy upgrades.
Near Earth’s long history in autonomous aviation supports the program’s foundation. In 2010, the company completed the world’s first fully autonomous helicopter flight for the U.S. Army’s Combat Medic Evacuation program. Near Earth also developed autonomy systems for the Office of Naval Research’s Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) program, demonstrating uncrewed helicopter cargo deliveries in hazardous environments.
“This program is a significant step forward for Army logistics and autonomy,” said Sanjiv Singh, CEO of Near Earth. “We’re proud to bring our proven helicopter autonomy experience to bear and excited to see it operationalized at scale to support soldiers in the field.”
Honeywell Supports Scalable, Certifiable Avionics
Honeywell is collaborating closely with Near Earth to deliver an affordable, scalable, and certifiable solution. Honeywell’s contributions draw from their existing avionics platforms, including flight decks, Compact Fly-by-Wire systems, and navigation technologies.
“Our avionics provides a modular, certifiable foundation that aligns with both today’s operational tempo and tomorrow’s autonomy goals,” said Matt Milas, President, Defense & Space, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “Whether for piloted, optionally piloted, or fully autonomous aircraft, our systems scale to meet evolving military needs with a certifiable foundation.”
Honeywell’s technologies are engineered for both retrofitting existing aircraft and supporting next-generation uncrewed systems. The solutions are built to meet today’s mission demands while enabling long-term advancements toward autonomous flight.
A Step Forward in Army Logistics Operations
Near Earth began working toward an autonomous Black Hawk in 2021. Their autonomy systems have already powered more than 10,000 flights across over 140 different airframes, including those from Airbus, Bell, Boeing, Kaman, and Leonardo.
Through this new program, the Army and Near Earth will develop operational procedures for autonomous logistics flights. A series of flight tests will lead to a mature, mission-ready product that improves the Army’s ability to operate in contested, complex environments with greater speed, scale, and safety.
About Near Earth Autonomy
Near Earth Autonomy builds technology that enables aircraft to take off, fly, and land safely with or without GPS. Their systems support aerial mobility for both commercial and defense partners. By bridging aerospace and robotics, Near Earth provides solutions that improve the efficiency, performance, and safety of drones and helicopters of all sizes. Learn more at nearearth.aero.
Read more:
- Near Earth Autonomy to Deliver Miniaturized Autonomous Flight Systems for U.S. Marine Corps Resupply Drones
- Full-scale Helicopter Logistics, Minus the Pilots: Near Earth Autonomy is Enabling Autonomy
- Helicopter Drones: Near Earth Brings Autonomy to Large Scale VTOL Aircraft [VIDEO]
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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Could retrofitting Black Hawks with autonomy truly transform logistics? I think this bold move could boost safety and efficiency in hostile zones.
How will the collaboration between the Army and Near Earth enhance autonomous logistics capabilities in contested and complex environments?