The planned integration of Sierra Nevada Corporation\u2019s
\nmulti-sensor system on the H-60Mx marks a step towards autonomous helicopter
\noperations in degraded visual environments, building on technologies already
\nused to assist crewed aircraft.<\/i><\/p>\n
14 October 2026 –Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has
\nannounced that the US Army plans to equip its experimental H-60Mx autonomous
\nBlack Hawk helicopter with the company\u2019s Degraded Visual Environment Pilotage
\nSystem (DVEPS), a multi-sensor suite designed to provide environmental
\nperception in conditions that severely restrict conventional vision.<\/p>\n
In a press release dated 13 October 2026, entitled \u201cArmy
\nTurns to SNC All-Weather Vision System to Give Autonomous Black Hawk Its \u2018Eyes\u2019<\/i>,
\nSNC said the system was scheduled for installation during the first quarter of
\nfiscal year 2027. DVEPS is intended to serve as the aircraft\u2019s primary
\nperception sensor, helping it navigate through dust, fog, smoke and darkness.<\/p>\n
The announcement follows an earlier milestone reported by
\nthe US Army on 20 March 2026, when the service confirmed receipt of its first
\nH-60Mx Black Hawk modified to operate with or without a pilot at the controls.
\nThe aircraft is based on Sikorsky\u2019s fly-by-wire technology and MATRIX autonomy
\nsuite, developed through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency\u2019s
\n(DARPA) Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) programme.<\/p>\n
The Army described the H-60Mx as a test platform for
\nadvancing autonomous flight and evaluating additional mission-specific sensors
\nand systems.<\/p>\n
From pilot assistance to autonomous perception<\/b><\/p>\n
DVEPS addresses one of the major challenges facing
\nhelicopter operations: maintaining reliable environmental awareness when dust,
\nsand, snow or other obscurants eliminate the visual references needed for safe
\nmanoeuvring and landing.<\/p>\n
According to SNC, the configuration planned for the H-60Mx
\ncombines lidar and passive infrared imagery to generate a continuously updated
\nthree-dimensional model of the surrounding terrain. This enables the aircraft\u2019s
\nautonomy software to use processed environmental information rather than
\nrelying solely on conventional camera imagery. DVEPS technology can also
\nsupport piloted helicopters, enhancing crews\u2019 situational awareness in degraded
\nvisual environments.<\/p>\n
Lidar measures distances to surrounding surfaces and
\nobstacles, while infrared imaging provides complementary information in
\nlow-light conditions. The fused data can help identify terrain features and
\nhazards during approach, hover and landing.<\/p>\n
The distinction is important. In a conventional crewed
\nhelicopter, a DVE (Degraded Visual Environment) system presents enhanced visual
\ninformation to the pilot, who interprets the display and controls the aircraft.
\nOn the autonomous H-60Mx, DVEPS is intended to provide environmental perception
\nto the aircraft\u2019s autonomous flight system, supporting its own navigation and
\nmanoeuvring decisions.<\/p>\n
SNC describes the installation as a step towards extending
\nautonomy into conditions in which conventional cameras and human vision become
\nunreliable. The planned integration and subsequent testing will determine how
\neffectively the system supports the H-60Mx in operationally relevant
\nconditions.<\/p>\n
A broader sensor-fusion architecture<\/b><\/p>\n
Although the configuration announced for the H-60Mx
\nspecifically identifies lidar and passive infrared imagery, SNC\u2019s wider
\ndegraded visual environment portfolio supports a broader combination of sensing
\ntechnologies.<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s DVE solutions can integrate lidar, radar and
\nhigh-resolution passive sensors, with their data fused through its Sierra
\nFusion three-dimensional world model. The architecture aligns and geo-registers
\nsensor imagery to produce a coherent representation of the environment.<\/p>\n
Radar can provide complementary information when atmospheric
\nobscurants affect optical sensors, while lidar contributes detailed range
\nmeasurements and passive imaging adds visual or thermal information. Their
\nrespective strengths can reduce reliance on any single sensing modality.<\/p>\n
SNC also describes capabilities for terrain and obstacle
\ndetection, proximity alerts, hazard identification and landing-zone assessment.
\nIts wider portfolio supports both crewed and uncrewed aircraft.<\/p>\n
However, the company\u2019s general DVE architecture should not
\nbe confused with the precise sensor configuration announced for the H-60Mx. The
\nOctober press release does not confirm that a millimetre-wave radar or every
\nother sensor available across SNC\u2019s portfolio will be installed on this
\nparticular aircraft.<\/p>\n
Nor does sensor fusion guarantee detection of every obstacle
\nin every condition. Performance depends on sensor coverage, range,
\nenvironmental conditions, data processing and the ability of the autonomous
\nsystem to respond safely to detected hazards.<\/p>\n
Comparable systems for crewed helicopters<\/b><\/p>\n
DVE technology is not limited to autonomous aircraft.
\nSeveral manufacturers have developed systems that enhance a human pilot\u2019s
\nperception in low visibility, although their architectures and intended uses
\ndiffer. The difference with DVEPS lies in the fact that the DVEPS planned for
\nthe H-60Mx is intended to provide environmental perception data to the
\nhelicopter\u2019s autonomous flight system.<\/p>\n
Lockheed Martin\u2019s Pilotage Distributed Aperture Sensor
\n(PDAS)<\/b> provides real-time, multispectral 360-degree imagery through six
\ninfrared sensors distributed around the aircraft. Its processor combines the
\nimagery into a panoramic view and supports sensor fusion and threat detection.
\nThe system is designed to improve crew situational awareness in conditions such
\nas fog and brownout.<\/p>\n
Elbit Systems\u2019 DVE\/LVL solution<\/b> focuses on helping
\nhelicopter crews maintain visual references during degraded-visibility and
\nlow-visibility landing operations. Based on its Helmet Display and Tracking
\nSystem, it overlays three-dimensional landing and mission symbology onto the
\npilot\u2019s view, helping crews assess lateral drift and manoeuvre when external
\nvisual references are limited.<\/p>\n
Thales TopOwl and WASP <\/b>helmet-mounted systems provide
\nanother European approach to degraded visual environment (DVE) operations.
\nTopOwl combines helmet-mounted symbology and synthetic terrain representations
\nwith imagery from compatible onboard sensors, including infrared cameras and
\nnight-vision systems, depending on the aircraft configuration. Thales\u2019 WASP
\nsystem supports the display of electro-optical (EO), infrared (IR) and
\nDistributed Aperture System (DAS) sensor data, helping pilots maintain
\nsituational awareness when external visual references are limited. <\/p>\n
An important step towards all-weather helicopter autonomy<\/b><\/p>\n
SNC\u2019s announcement highlights the growing importance of
\nenvironmental perception as military aviation moves beyond automated flight
\ncontrols towards more capable autonomous aircraft.<\/p>\n
The H-60Mx already provides a platform for evaluating the
\nMATRIX autonomy suite in reduced-crew and uncrewed configurations. Adding DVEPS
\nis intended to address a different but complementary challenge: enabling the
\naircraft to perceive terrain and obstacles when conventional visual references
\ndeteriorate.<\/p>\n
For the US Army, the planned trials will help assess how
\nsensor fusion can support autonomous helicopter operations in demanding
\nenvironments. For SNC, the programme extends its DVE technology into a role in
\nwhich the system\u2019s output must support machine decision-making, rather than
\nsimply improve a pilot\u2019s view.<\/p>\n
The decisive test will be whether the integrated system can
\nprovide sufficiently reliable environmental information for the aircraft to
\nmanoeuvre and land safely across a representative range of degraded visual
\nconditions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source: Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
US Army to equip H-60Mx autonomous Black Hawk with SNC\u2019s DVEPS, a multi-sensor suite for safer flight in degraded visual conditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":38603,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[935,798,2],"tags":[4532],"class_list":["post-38604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-defence","category-helicopters","category-news","tag-black-hawk"],"yoast_head":"\n