“Revolutionizing Firefighting: Sikorsky and Rain Achieve Breakthrough in Autonomous Wildfire Detection and Suppression”

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, and Rain, a pioneer in autonomous aerial wildfire suppression technologies, successfully showcased how an autonomous Black Hawk^® helicopter can be instructed to ascend, pinpoint the location and dimensions of a minor blaze, and then precisely release water to douse the flames.

Conducted on Oct. 29 at Sikorsky’s headquarters in Stratford, the Rapid Wildfire Response Demonstration illustrated the effective integration of Sikorsky’s MATRIX™ flight autonomy with Rain’s wildfire response autonomy system to extinguish a fire in its nascent phase.

Delegates from NASA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Orange County Fire Authority, and the philanthropic and impact investment sector observed the demonstration as part of a two-day wildlands firefighting conference to explore autonomy.

“Government institutions, aerial firefighting agencies, and investors are uniting to understand and witness how both flight and mission autonomy can aid in preventing large-scale, high-intensity wildfires encompassing millions of acres,” stated Maxwell Brodie, Rain CEO. “Wildfires incur costs exceeding $390 billion annually for the United States, and numerous risk factors are expected to rise by up to 30% by 2030. We are eager to illustrate to policymakers how autonomous aircraft can halt fires from igniting or persist in battling them overnight, and in turbulent, smoky conditions where crewed aircraft would hesitate.”

During the 30-minute flight demonstration, attendees utilized a tablet to instruct the Black Hawk aircraft to ascend, locate the fire, and subsequently release water from a Bambi Bucket suspended 60 feet below the aircraft. Each of the three successive water drops extinguished a 12-inch diameter propane-fueled fire ring producing a 3-to-6-inch tall flame, showcasing the accuracy of Rain’s fire detection and targeting capabilities. The Rain system also swiftly modified the flight trajectory to compensate for an 8-to-10-knot crosswind during each water drop.

Sikorsky safety pilots in the Black Hawk cockpit oversaw the flight operations, remaining hands-off until the aircraft descended.

“With Rain’s wildfire mission software installed on the aircraft and a tablet, wildland firefighters in the field could deploy autonomous Black Hawk or Firehawk^® helicopters to locate and engage wildfires before they spiral out of control,” remarked Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations’ rapid development/prototyping division. “Having collaborated closely for over a year, our two firms are prepared to demonstrate the combined capability under more dynamic scenarios selected by firefighters.”

Representatives present during the demonstration offered real-time feedback and insights to the Rain and Sikorsky teams.

“This technology that we previously envisioned as a distant possibility is now a reality, no longer merely a figment of our imagination,” said Genevieve Biggs, director of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Wildfire Resilience Initiative and Special Projects program. “It’s inspiring to witness this remarkable machine, and to consider the safety enhancements that become feasible when you integrate autonomous operations into wildland firefighting, as Rain and Sikorsky have achieved together.”