From Pilot to Program: How DARPA’s ALIAS is Turning Any Aircraft into an Autonomous Drone

Imagine a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter executing a complex mission—navigating low-level terrain, avoiding unexpected obstacles, and landing perfectly in a confined zone—with no one at the controls. This is no longer science fiction; it is the reality being built by DARPA’s revolutionary Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program. For decades, military aircraft have grown…