Israel Aerospace Industries' Lahav division has conducted a successful series of flight tests of its tactical mid-air collision avoidance (TMACA) system using two Bell 205 helicopters.

IAI's patented helicopter collision avoidance system is based on datalink communications between aircraft, which update one another on their relative positions and flight vector in real time.

The TMACA system can recognise flight formation, avoiding false alarms, and will sound a warning only in cases of real danger. As soon as it detects a possibility for collision, the system alerts the pilots with visual and audio alarms, and supplies recommended avoidance measures on a cockpit display.

 IAI TMACA test Bell 205s

IAI TMACA display

Both images © Israel Aerospace Industries

Additional flight tests of the technology are to take place using Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters flown by pilots from the Israeli air force flight-test centre.

Source: Flight International