AW139 helicopter flown autonomously for first time in test for U.S. Marine Corps
NewsJune 17, 2025

PHOENIX, Arizona. Honeywell and Near Earth Autonomy completed the first autonomous test flight of a Leonardo AW139 helicopter in support of the U.S. Marine Corps Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) program, the company announced in a statement.
The test, conducted in May, used Honeywell’s AW139 platform and marked the first time the aircraft’s autopilot modes were controlled entirely by onboard autonomy software without pilot input, the statement reads. The demonstration focused on autonomous flight control and decision-making as part of broader efforts to develop uncrewed aerial logistics capabilities.
The ALC program is managed under a Naval Aviation Systems Consortium Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) with Near Earth Autonomy as the prime performer. The program aims to deliver scalable logistics systems that can operate without a pilot or remote operator in contested environments, the company says.
Future testing will expand the system’s capabilities to include obstacle avoidance and deeper integration with military logistics workflows, the statement adds. Honeywell and Near Earth Autonomy are developing an autonomy suite intended for both retrofit and new aircraft platforms.