APRIL 28, 2025 – The U.S. Army selected Near Earth Autonomy (Near Earth) to lead a new $15 Million program to develop and field an optionally piloted contested logistics solution by retrofitting UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters with advanced autonomy kits. This Army Program Executive Office, Aviation (PEO Aviation) funded effort is a collaboration between Near Earth and Honeywell, designed to transform existing aircraft into uncrewed, high-tempo logistics platforms.
At the heart of the program is a modular retrofit kit that will enable 24/7, uncrewed, high-tempo operations without the need for onboard crew, remote pilots, or continuous data links. The result minimizes risk to personnel while maximizing operational tempo and logistics throughput.
The initiative establishes a repeatable, scalable process to retrofit a broad range of rotary-wing platforms, allowing the Army to avoid long acquisition cycles and unlock new capabilities from legacy aircraft. The UH-60L is the first targeted platform, but the architecture is designed for adaptability across fleets.
Near Earth’s deterministic autonomy architecture, Captain, is central to the program. Designed for mission assurance in complex, degraded environments, Captain enables safe flight and hazard avoidance without the need for an onboard crew, remote pilot, or continuous data link, a critical capability in GPS and comms-denied scenarios. The program is developed using a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) to ensure modularity, cost-efficiency, and ease of future development and maintenance.
This new effort builds on over a decade of autonomous logistics breakthroughs by Near Earth. In 2010, Near Earth was responsible for the world’s first fully autonomous helicopter flight, conducted for the U.S. Army’s Combat Medic Evacuation program, a milestone in aviation autonomy. The company also developed the autonomy system for the Office of Naval Research’s Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) program, which proved that uncrewed helicopters could safely navigate, land, and deliver cargo in unprepared and hazardous environments without pilot input or infrastructure, a critical validation of autonomous logistics at the tactical edge.
“This program is a significant step forward for Army logistics and autonomy,” said Sanjiv Singh, CEO of Near Earth. “We’re proud to bring our proven helicopter autonomy experience to bear and excited to see it operationalized at scale to support soldiers in the field.”
“Our avionics provides a modular, certifiable foundation that aligns with both today’s operational tempo and tomorrow’s autonomy goals,” said Matt Milas, President, Defense & Space, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “Whether for piloted, optionally piloted, or fully autonomous aircraft, our systems scale to meet evolving military needs with a certifiable foundation.”
Honeywell is working alongside Near Earth to shape an autonomy solution that is not only affordable but also scalable and certifiable for future missions. Building on its proven avionics platforms—including the flight decks, Compact Fly-by-Wire system, and Navigation Systems—Honeywell delivers missioncritical technologies that are engineered for both retrofit and next-generation aircraft. These solutions are designed to meet today’s operational requirements while enabling a long-term transition toward uncrewed and highly autonomous flight.
Near Earth began working towards an uncrewed Black Hawk in 2021, building on its legacy of innovation and success across the Department of Defense. Its autonomy systems have powered over 10,000 flights on over 140 different airframes, including platforms from Airbus, Bell, Boeing, Kaman, and Leonardo.
The Army will work with Near Earth to develop new operational procedures for autonomous logistics by conducting a series of autonomous flights leading to a mature, mission-ready product for uncrewed aerial logistics, one that strengthens the Army’s ability to operate in contested and complex theaters, with speed, scale, and safety.
About Near Earth Autonomy
Near Earth’s technology allows aircraft to autonomously take off, fly, and land safely, with or without GPS. Their solutions enable aerial mobility applications for partners in the commercial and defense sectors. Near Earth bridges the gap between aerospace and robotics with complete systems that improve efficiency, performance, and safety for aircraft ranging from small drones to full-size helicopters. Learn more at nearearth.aero.