Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, has been awarded US$6 million by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to integrate its ALIAS/MATRIX™ flight autonomy system into the U.S. Army’s experimental fly-by-wire UH-60M Black Hawk® helicopter. Known as the MX, the upgraded aircraft will enable the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to test a range of autonomy capabilities, from single-pilot operation to fully autonomous flight.
The MATRIX system forms the foundation of DARPA’s ALIAS (Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System) programme. As part of ALIAS in 2020, Sikorsky provided the necessary hardware and engineering to add fly-by-wire flight controls to the MX aircraft. Once integrated with the MATRIX autonomy system, the MX aircraft will closely mirror Sikorsky’s UH-60A fly-by-wire Optionally Piloted Black Hawk, a flying lab that has undergone extensive testing of MATRIX technology over hundreds of flight hours.
Sikorsky is set to integrate the MATRIX system into the MX helicopter in 2025. The aircraft will enable DEVCOM to explore practical applications and operational concepts for scalable autonomy. Testing will include evaluating sensor systems for obstacle and threat avoidance, as well as developing standards and specifications for the system’s interface with the MATRIX and fly-by-wire flight control systems.
In July 2024, Sikorsky and DARPA demonstrated to U.S. military personnel and senior Department of Defense officials how the Optionally Piloted Black Hawk can be controlled by an operator in the cabin or from the ground via a tablet, simply by setting high-level mission goals.
These demonstrations built on earlier autonomous flights showcased during Project Convergence 2022, where Sikorsky and DARPA successfully demonstrated how the Black Hawk, without any crew onboard, could safely conduct cargo resupply missions.
Autonomous systems like MATRIX technology are integral to Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security® strategy, which focuses on modernising the Black Hawk to stay ahead of evolving threats.
