Moog has achieved a major milestone in helicopter flight automation after receiving FAA certification for its GRC 4000 retrofit autopilot system designed for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The certification authorizes installation of the four-axis autopilot on operational UH-60A and UH-60A+ helicopters, making it the first retrofit system approved for instrument flight operations on the platform. Developed to improve both operational safety and flight efficiency, the GRC 4000 automatically controls heading, altitude, speed, and hover throughout every stage of flight while reducing pilot workload in demanding weather conditions. Integrated with the helicopter’s flight management system, the autopilot can automatically stabilize the aircraft following unexpected flight disturbances, support precision navigation, and perform advanced hover operations with minimal pilot input. During earlier flight demonstrations, the upgraded Black Hawk successfully completed a fully automated mission from liftoff through landing, demonstrating the maturity and reliability of the technology. The system is suitable for a wide range of missions, including troop transport, logistics, emergency response, search and rescue, firefighting, and law enforcement. Following this certification milestone, Moog intends to extend regulatory approval to additional Black Hawk variants, including the UH-60L and Sikorsky S-70i, bringing advanced flight automation to a broader global operator community.
