US Army Black Hawk Altius Drones: The U.S. Army is testing a new way to use its H-60M Black Hawk helicopters in combat. During recent trials, the helicopter was used to launch unmanned systems that could find and attack targets without needing constant control from the aircraft crew.
The testing was carried out as part of Project Convergence Capstone 6 at Fort Irwin in California. The Army describes the exercise as a major test of new technologies and future battlefield systems. PC-C6 ran from July 20 to July 29, 2026, in the California desert.
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Black Hawk launches Unmanned Weapons
Footage released by Anduril Industries showed a Black Hawk launching Altius-700M launched effects. These systems are designed to travel away from the helicopter and carry out missions on their own.
During the test, the unmanned systems were able to engage both fixed and moving targets. This gives the Army another way to strike targets while keeping the helicopter and its crew farther away from danger.
The Army officially reported that it was advancing the H-60M’s air-launched effects capability during the Fort Irwin trials. The work involved Army teams, technical experts and industry partners.
The Altius-700M is part of the Army’s Long-Range Precision Munition effort. Earlier Army testing has explored the system as a long-range loitering munition, while its air-launched version is being developed for use from helicopters.
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New role for the H-60M
The Army’s aim was at helping aviation units operate beyond an enemy’s threat zone. During PC-C6, Army Aviation also tested other launched systems from helicopters as part of its efforts to combine manned and unmanned platforms.
Project Convergence Capstone 6 was created to test more than 100 emerging technologies in a realistic battlefield environment. The exercise brought together Army units along with joint and multinational partners to study how new systems could work together in future combat.
