Sikorsky Collaborates with DARPA to Transform Black Hawk Helicopters through Innovative Autonomy Technology

Sikorsky, a division of Lockheed Martin, has obtained a $6 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to outfitting the company’s ALIAS/MATRIX^™ flight automation technology on the experimental fly-by-wire UH-60M Black Hawk^® helicopter utilized by the U.S. Army. Designated as MX, this upgraded aircraft will empower the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to evaluate and explore a wide array of autonomous functionalities, ranging from single pilot operation to completely unmanned missions.

“Autonomy-enabled aircraft will reduce pilot workload, substantially improve flight safety, and empower combat leaders with the flexibility to carry out complex missions in contested and congested battle zones, regardless of time and environmental conditions,” remarked Rich Benton, Sikorsky’s vice president and general manager. “Service members will rely on Black Hawk helicopters well into the 2070s, and enhancing these aircraft today will offer advantages for generations within Army Aviation’s current and future inventories.”

The MATRIX automation system plays a pivotal role in DARPA’s ALIAS (Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System) initiative. In conjunction with ALIAS in 2020, Sikorsky provided the hardware and engineering support required to integrate fly-by-wire controls into the MX aircraft. When combined with the MATRIX automation system, the MX aircraft will closely mirror Sikorsky’s UH-60A fly-by-wire Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter, the firm’s flight research laboratory that has assessed MATRIX automation over extensive flight hours.

Sikorsky plans to integrate the MATRIX system into the MX helicopter in 2025. This aircraft will enable DEVCOM to explore and develop viable applications and prospective operational frameworks of a scalable autonomy system. The assessment will include evaluating various sensor arrays designed to detect and evade threats, obstacles, and terrains, while formulating standards and specifications for systems interacting with the MATRIX and a fly-by-wire flight control mechanism.

In July 2024, Sikorsky and DARPA presented to U.S. military personnel and senior Department of Defense officials how the Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter can be seamlessly operated and controlled either by an operator in the cockpit or remotely from the ground by inputting high-level mission objectives via a tablet.

These recent demonstrations built upon autonomous flights at Project Convergence 2022, where Sikorsky and DARPA effectively showcased to the U.S. Army how the Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter, functioning without human intervention, can securely and reliably conduct both internal and external cargo resupply operations.

Autonomous features like MATRIX technology are vital to Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security^® strategy, which focuses on modernizing the Black Hawk helicopter to stay ahead of emerging threats.