Moog has received a Supplemental Type Certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration for its GRC 4000 four-axis autopilot developed for UH-60A and UH-60A+ Black Hawk helicopters. The approval makes the GRC 4000 the first retrofit four-axis autopilot certified for instrument flight rules operations on the Black Hawk, allowing operators to modernize existing helicopters without acquiring entirely new aircraft. Integrated into Moog’s advanced avionics package, the system automatically manages heading, altitude, airspeed, and hover while reducing pilot workload during challenging instrument and low-visibility conditions. The certified avionics suite also complies with the FAA’s highest recommended safety guidance for preventing rotorcraft loss-of-control accidents, particularly during unexpected weather deterioration. Earlier demonstration flights successfully showed the upgraded helicopter completing a fully automated flight from takeoff to landing using a single-button autopilot activation. The GRC 4000 can recover the helicopter from unstable flight conditions, maintain continuous stability augmentation, and perform automated navigation and hover operations. These capabilities improve safety and mission effectiveness across military transport, logistics, search and rescue, disaster response, firefighting, and law enforcement missions. Moog plans to expand certification to additional Black Hawk variants, including the UH-60L and Sikorsky S-70i, increasing availability of the advanced flight automation technology.
