The demonstration, conducted at Sikorsky headquarters, was observed by representatives from NASA, FEMA, DARPA, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Orange County Fire Authority, and several investors. Attendees witnessed firsthand how an autonomous Black Hawk could potentially prevent high-intensity, large-scale wildfires through precise, unmanned response.
“Government agencies, aerial firefighting operators, and investors are coming together to learn and see how both flight and mission autonomy can help prevent high intensity million-acre wildfires,” stated Rain CEO Maxwell Brodie. He emphasised the economic impact, noting, “Wildfires cost the United States over $390 billion annually, and multiple risk factors are set to grow up to 30% by 2030.”
During the demonstration, a tablet was used to command the helicopter to take off, locate the fire, and execute water drops with impressive accuracy. In a 30-minute display, the Black Hawk executed three water drops using a Bambi Bucket suspended 60 feet below, successfully extinguishing a small, controlled fire under varied wind conditions. This demonstrated Rain’s fire detection and precision targeting capabilities, as the system adjusted for crosswinds up to 10 knots during each water drop.
The Black Hawk operated autonomously throughout the flight, with Sikorsky safety pilots in the cockpit solely for monitoring purposes. Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations, commented, “With Rain’s wildfire mission software loaded onto the aircraft and a tablet, wildland firefighters in the field could deploy autonomous Black Hawk or Firehawk helicopters to search and attack wildfires before they spread out of control.”
Experts at the event provided feedback, discussing the implications of integrating this autonomous technology into firefighting strategies. Genevieve Biggs, director of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Wildfire Resilience Initiative, observed, “This technology that we used to think of as being on the horizon is here now, no longer just a figment of our imagination. It’s humbling to see this impressive machine, and think about the improvement in safety that becomes possible when you’re layering into wildland firefighting an autonomous operation.”
