Ribbit demonstrates autonomous multi-aircraft SAR mission

An autonomous Bell 412EP helicopter, a Cessna 150 fixed-wing aircraft, and multiple virtual drones have completed a coordinated mock search and rescue (SAR) mission near Ottawa, Canada, demonstrating multi-platform autonomy under the control of a single human mission commander.

Conducted in May 2026, the exercise brought together Canadian autonomy developer Ribbit and the National Research Council Canada (NRC). The scenario involved the Cessna conducting search patterns for a missing person, adapting its flight plan using a shared operating picture. After the person was located, the Bell 412 performed a simulated casualty evacuation while the airplane maintained aerial situational awareness. Virtual drones also contributed to the search.

Safety pilots were aboard both crewed aircraft, with flights conducted autonomously under the direction of one mission commander overseeing all assets.

The demonstration combined Ribbit’s fixed-wing autonomy expertise with the NRC’s rotary-wing capabilities, developed in collaboration with the agency’s Drone Innovation Hub.

“By combining research with technology, we successfully demonstrated autonomous aircraft working together toward a shared mission,” said Derek Gowanlock, Director of the NRC’s Aurora Shield program.

The exercise follows more than three years of collaboration between Ribbit and the NRC. Ribbit has been contracted to test autonomous technology for dual-use applications spanning joint operations, tactical aviation, and public safety.

In recent news, Voyageur Aviation became the first Canadian operator of Airbus’s U030 Flexrotor.