DARPA awards Sikorsky ALIAS Phase 1 contract
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has been awarded a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for Phase 1 of the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) programme. The contract is worth $8 million.
The ALIAS programme aims to develop and insert new automation into currently operating aircraft to reduce the number of on-board crew. It looks to use aircraft automation system advancements and progress in unmanned aerial vehicles to reduce pilot workload.
Sikorsky's approach to this programme is based on its Matrix technology to develop, test and field systems and software that improve the safety, reliability and capability of flight for piloted, optionally piloted and autonomous vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
This technology aims to give fixed-wing and rotary aircraft the system intelligence needed to complete complex missions with little human oversight.
Sikorsky Innovations, the rapid prototyping arm of Sikorsky, will work with Veloxiti, the National Robotics Engineering Center and the United Technologies Research Center to demonstrate the use of autonomous technology on the Black Hawk helicopter and other aircraft in the US Department of Defense fleet. For Phase 1, the Sikorsky team will collaborate with the ALIAS team on ground tests with a Black Hawk.
Mark Miller, vice president, research and engineering, Sikorsky, said: 'The potential ability to rapidly reconfigure Black Hawk helicopters to enable them to be flown by fewer crew or crew of different skill levels is very exciting. It will be very interesting to apply this technology, and we believe it could be a real game changer for both military and commercial customers.'
Aurora Flight Sciences announced a $6 million contract for the first phase of the programme in January.
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