What Happened
National Guardsman Successfully Operates Optionally Piloted Vehicle
A U.S. Army National Guardsman with no previous aviation background successfully maneuvered Sikorsky’s optionally piloted Black Hawk helicopter in less than an hour. The Guardsman used a handheld touchscreen tablet to control the OPV Black Hawk and planned its tasks during Exercise Northern Strike 25-2, a large multinational exercise sponsored by the National Guard Bureau. The exercise saw the OPV Black Hawk transport a 2,900-pound water buffalo slingload entirely by remote control, among other first-time demonstrations. This was reported by Defense News.