Israeli Startup Sikonia Demonstrates Helicopter Collision-Avoidance System in US
Israeli startup Sikonia demonstrated its advanced collision-avoidance system for helicopters in California, drawing strong interest from American firefighting agencies amid rising airspace congestion.
A successful demonstration in California could soon see helicopters equipped with collision-avoidance systems developed by the Israeli startup Sikonia. The trial took place in August in San Bernardino County, the largest county in the United States, in front of firefighting forces from across the country.
As airspace becomes increasingly crowded and hazardous due to the proliferation of drones, uncrewed aerial vehicles, and helicopters operating in confined spaces—particularly during firefighting and rescue missions—Ness Ziona-based Sikonia has developed a unique collision-avoidance system that maps out a safe escape route for each aircraft in an emergency.
"Multiple aircraft, often from different agencies, operating together over a constrained and targeted airspace is a recipe for disaster," says Col. (Res.) Moshe Cohen, CEO and co-founder of the company. Cohen served for years as an attack helicopter pilot in the Israeli Air Force before assembling the Sikonia team upon his release.
The team includes Lt. Col. (Res.) Dr. Ilan Zohar, CTO and drone control expert; Lt. Col. (Res.) Gil Yanay, former test pilot and commander of the Israeli Air Force Flight Testing Center, Boeing 787 captain at El Al, and VP of Business Development; test pilot Lt. Col. (Res.) Eran Bar-On, head of algorithms and flight testing; algorithmics team member Lt. Col. (Res.) Eran Nir, former Yasur helicopter captain, Mamram and IAF technology unit alumnus, and Boeing 787 captain at El Al; operations manager and systems engineer Ronen Stupman, former IAF flight test engineer; and software engineer Misha Poyarkov.
Testing in Southern California Skies
Andreas Moser, chief pilot for the American helicopter company HeliStream with 34 years of experience, put the system through its paces in Southern California. HeliStream operates a diverse fleet providing pilot training, complex high-voltage power line infrastructure work, utility missions, and firefighting, where the risk of collisions between firefighting helicopters, reconnaissance copters, and drones is rapidly escalating.
Moser humorously describes himself as flying "everything from a light Robinson R22 to a Sikorsky Black Hawk." Over 200 civilian Black Hawks currently operate in the United States, primarily for firefighting using belly tanks or water buckets suspended on long cables. In Israel, the Ministry of National Security has also ordered three such helicopters for firefighting missions to bolster the existing air tanker squadron.
Firefighting missions in Southern California's congested airspace pose a daily life-and-death risk. "We fly here in one of the busiest airspaces in the world. Helicopters fly under visual flight rules, and you are entirely responsible for collision avoidance. In a single-pilot crew, that drains an immense amount of energy and attention from the pilot who is supposed to be flying the helicopter and executing the mission."
The Drone Threat and Limitations of Legacy Systems
The entry of drones into fire zones—whether operated by emergency agencies for mapping or by curious civilian hobbyists—has created a tangible threat. Moser noted that even suspected drone sightings can completely halt firefighting operations until the airspace is cleared. In Greece, two firefighting helicopters collided in August while battling a blaze, resulting in the deaths of both pilots.
For decades, aviation relied on alert systems like ADS-B and TCAS. However, Moser explains that these legacy systems fail to provide adequate solutions for helicopter pilots in the field.
"ADS-B is excellent, but all it tells me is 'there is a target here.' It does not tell me whether that traffic poses a danger. The system also provides no guidance on where to fly in the event of collision danger. If there are four or five other aircraft around me, ADS-B does not tell me which one presents the urgent threat."
Sikonia’s system overcomes these limitations by providing real-time maneuvering solutions rather than mere alerts, ensuring that evasive actions do not steer the aircraft into new hazards. HeliStream is expected to adopt the CCAS technology in the near future.
