Rockwell Collins demonstrates synthetic vision on Black Hawk

Rockwell Collins recently demonstrated synthetic vision technology in flight tests on the U.S. Army UH-60L Black Hawk Helicopter.

Synthetic vision technology enables helicopter pilots to navigate more safely in low-altitude conditions, where weather and light conditions can increase risk.

The synthetic vision was integrated into Rocwkell Collins Common Avionics Arhitecture System, providing pilots with an intuitive 3D synthetic view of the external environment. The flights included mountain terrain representative of real-life mission scenarios.

The tests were conducted under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Rockwell Collins and the Army's Aviation Applied Technology Directorate. It calls for Rockwell Collins to provide its Common Aviation Architecture System as a test bed, enabling the Army to develop and demonstrate new technology cost-effectively.

Rockwell Collins Vice President of Airborne Solutions Dave Nieuwsma said the tests demonstrate the company's synthetic vision systems have a high technical readiness, minimizing risk for future programs of selecting the company's synthetic vision solution.

The Common Avionics Architecture System is the common digital avionics architecture for rotary aircraft for the United States Army.