Of course, one way to get the best of both worlds is by adapting high-capacity helicopters to fly drone-like firefighting missions. This is what Sikorsky and Rain did in 2023 by equipping an uncrewed Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter controlled by that company’s Matrix autonomous flight system with Rain’s Wildfire Mission Autonomy System. This system is connected to early wildfire detection networks, and uses that data to dispatch assistance as soon as possible.


In this instance, the two worked together to execute a precision water drop from a Bambi bucket in December 2023 at Sikorsky headquarters in Stratford, Connecticut.


“By combining Sikorsky’s Matrix aircraft autonomy system with Rain’s early response capability, we have shown the potential to put out a wildfire in its initial stage before it becomes a huge problem,” said Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations.


“Ultimately, Rain envisions equipping fire agencies with the capability to strategically position a future fleet of firefighting helicopters capable of receiving and carrying out mission commands autonomously to suppress a wildfire in its earliest stage,” said Rain CEO Maxwell Brodie.


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