FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — Officials say a helicopter flew unmanned around Fort Campbell in what is the Army’s first automated flight of an empty Black Hawk.
Engineers said the 14,000-pound helicopter successfully navigated around the post on the Kentucky-Tennessee border as if it was downtown Manhattan.
The UH-60 aircraft was retrofitted with technology developed by the Defense Department’s research arm in collaboration with Sikorsky.
The flight was the first time the system known as ALIAS flew completely by itself. The system is being tested with 14 different military aircraft.
The 101st Airborne Division and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment are based at Fort Campbell.
