Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, in partnership with Shield AI, L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX), and Parry Labs, completed its fourth autonomous flight test on the H145 Airbus helicopter and successfully integrated all four company’s technologies into a single aircraft together for the first time.
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense press release
The test flights, which took place at the Airbus facility in Grand Prairie, Texas, focused on refining the aircraft’s perception system to ensure it provides accurate, real-time information to an autonomous pilot ensuring obstacles are avoided within a landing zone.
“This test was vital for us to show the Lakota Connector’s development in performing aerial logistics missions for the U.S. Marine Corps,” said Rob Geckle, Chairman and CEO of Airbus U.S. Space and Defense. “Perception systems can make or break the success of an unmanned mission in the field, and I am excited to see our aircraft perform so well under uncertain conditions.”
During the tests, each partner’s contribution enabled the H145 aircraft to autonomously evaluate a landing zone, detect any obstacles obstructing it, and reroute to an alternate site as needed.
“L3Harris is delivering the digital backbone that advances autonomous aviation from concept to combat-ready capability,” said Jason Lambert, President, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, L3Harris. “Our Modular Open System Architecture enabled this team to integrate four partner technologies seamlessly, demonstrating the speed and interoperability that will define the future of unmanned logistics for the Marine Corps.”
Shield AI’s Hivemind demonstrated its core capabilities and autonomous perception of the aircraft.
