Autonomous Black Hawk Helicopter Tests Advanced Aerial Firefighting Technologies

Sikorsky, a division of Lockheed Martin, collaborated with Rain, a prominent entity in the fire technology sector, to evaluate innovative autonomous wildfire suppression techniques. These tests were conducted on both propane and burning brush piles, utilising Sikorsky’s MATRIX flight autonomy system in conjunction with Rain’s wildfire suppression planning software. This initiative took place in late April in Southern California, providing firefighters with the opportunity to observe how autonomous systems could aid both crewed and uncrewed firefighting helicopters in detecting and addressing early-stage wildfires.

“Sikorsky and Rain have integrated two autonomy systems: our MATRIX technology that controls the flight of any crewed or uncrewed aircraft, and Rain’s wildfire mission autonomy system that finds and tracks the fire, develops a suppression plan, and navigates the aircraft to drop water onto the target,” said Sikorsky Vice President and General Manager Rich Benton. “With this layered autonomy system, incident commanders and pilots can choose a level of autonomy suitable for their mission, adding new features as they experience improved flight safety gains and enhanced suppression functionality.”

The autonomous wildfire suppression tests conducted in late April marked the first collaboration between Rain and Sikorsky in California, targeting live fires in areas susceptible to wildfires. These tests took place at an altitude of 3,300 feet and occasionally faced wind gusts reaching up to 30 knots (35 mph). The trials were carried out in close cooperation with firefighters from the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, who constructed and ignited several brush piles for the aircraft to locate and extinguish using water.

Sikorsky's autonomous Black Hawk helicopter is outfitted with advanced fly-by-wire flight controls, MATRIX flight autonomy, a satellite datalink, and integrated thermal and vision cameras. The MATRIX system enables operators to select between fully autonomous and piloted operational modes.

During the fire suppression tests, Rain integrated its mission autonomy with the MATRIX system, allowing a ground operator to control the Black Hawk aircraft via a Rain tablet. This setup enabled the operator to assign specific tasks, such as directing the aircraft to a water source, hovering to fill the bucket, utilizing the aircraft’s thermal sensor to locate a brush pile fire, assessing the fire’s size, and calculating the optimal flight path, speed, and altitude for approaching the fire. Additionally, the system accounted for wind speed and direction during suppression and determined the exact moment to release water to achieve the desired coverage level. While in flight, sensors mounted on the aircraft geolocated the fire and streamed video to the ground operator’s command tablet for situational awareness and mission planning decision making.

Sikorsky safety pilots were hands-off the flight controls as the Black Hawk aircraft flew with a 324-gallon Bambi Bucket attached to a 40-ft line. Wildfire Water Solutions provided the water source — a 189,000-gallon water tank installed less than a mile from three adjacent hilltop burn sites.

With the optionally piloted flexibility of Sikorsky’s MATRIX technology, the Sikorsky and Rain team also demonstrated transition from autonomous control of the aircraft to piloted operation depending on the operational and environmental conditions.

Over two weeks, the aircraft completed 24 hours of flight operations in California. Representatives from CAL FIRE, the San Bernardino County Fire District, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), and the U.S. Forest Service observed segments of the tests. During one sequence of water drop exercises, an OCFA crewed Sikorsky S-76 command helicopter operated in conjunction with the autonomous Black Hawk aircraft. These joint operations successfully demonstrated the communication interoperability between the autonomous aircraft and a human-piloted helicopter within the same Fire Traffic Area.

"The technology that Rain and Sikorsky is demonstrating is a powerful part of the ecosystem of advancing fire service technology that is answering the year-round fire seasons we’re facing throughout California,” said Chief Dan Munsey, San Bernardino County Fire District. “Of all the tools we have to keep wildfires small, none are more effective than rapid suppression on initial attack of a wildfire. Autonomous aircraft—both crewed and uncrewed—can increase flexibility and capacity for on-the-ground incident commanders, ultimately saving lives and property for the communities we serve."

The Black Hawk helicopter is similar to the Firehawk helicopters operated by CAL FIRE, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and other local government agencies. Across California, CAL FIRE and local fire departments utilise 24 Sikorsky S-70 Firehawk helicopters, each outfitted with a 1,000-gallon belly-mounted water tank. CAL FIRE is scheduled to receive an additional three Firehawk helicopters this year.

“These initial attack flight tests on early-stage wildfires were of the highest value to Rain and Sikorsky as we mature our combined autonomy solution, and a great first step for aerial firefighters to learn how autonomy can help a pilot suppress wildfire with greater safety and accuracy,” said Maxwell Brodie, CEO of Alameda, California-based Rain. “We thank California’s firefighters for their considerable interest in helping us showcase the benefits of autonomy as a tool to support the safety, efficacy, and efficiency of wildfire response.”