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CH-47F Chinook completes first supervised-autonomy landing in flight tests

The flight-test milestone for Boeing-engineered software shows precise, repeatable autonomous landings.

April 16, 2026 in Technology, Defense

U.S. Army National Guard CH-47F Chinook helicopter in flight

A U.S. Army CH‑47F Chinook successfully completed its first fully automated approach and landing during a recent flight test of Boeing’s Approach-to-X (A2X) technology.

  • The aircraft used new and improved Digital Automated Flight Control System (DAFCS) Boeing-engineered software to touch down with all four wheels on the runway without any pilot interaction.
  • Since its first flight on a U.S. Army CH-47F in January 2026, A2X has been used to complete over 150 approaches with final altitudes ranging from 100-foot (30-meter) hover to the ground, with average final position error of less than five feet (1.5 meters).

Why it matters: The enhanced software is designed to reduce pilot workload and allow the aircraft to perform automated tactical approaches that match how pilots prefer to fly, improving flexibility and operational capability.

Views of a U.S. Army National Guard CH-47F Chinook helicopter landing — not from the flight test. (US Army photos; © Boeing graphic)

Driving the news: “We built the interface and control laws around how pilots would naturally fly an approach,” said Deanna DiBernardi, H-47 Human Factors Engineering lead. “Our goal is to reduce pilot workload so crews can maintain more eyes-out awareness in a tactical situation.”

How it works: Pilots choose a landing zone and final altitude (in the air or on the ground), and set an approach angle and a start speed.

  • The software then guides the aircraft to that point, handling the control input needed to get there.
  • Pilot control inputs can be used to adjust the final aircraft course and glideslope in response to a changing tactical environment.

How they did it: The A2X design resulted from pilot and engineer input, with working group meetings to reshape the interface, control laws and safety checks to match pilots’ natural instincts and expectations.

What’s next: Teams will refine the software with more flight testing, make small adjustments, and release a final version for the U.S. Army to begin integrating into the fleet.

The bottom line: “Improving DAFCS is just one of the ways we’re making the Chinook even more capable than it already is,” said Heather McBryan, vice president and program manager, Cargo Programs. “The Army wants to add layers of optimally crewed capability quickly, and we’re working side by side with them to make those upgrades a reality.”

By Brett Anker