Sikorsky has been granted a $6 million award by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to integrate the ALIAS/MATRIX™ flight autonomy system developed by the company into the US Army's experimental fly-by-wire UH-60M Black Hawk® helicopter. Known as MX, the enhanced aircraft will allow the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to assess various autonomy features, ranging from single pilot operation to completely unmanned flight.
“Autonomy-enabled aircraft will reduce pilot workload, dramatically improve flight safety, and give battle commanders the flexibility to perform complex missions in contested and congested battlespace, day or night in all weather conditions,” said Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager. “Soldiers will rely on Black Hawk helicopters into the 2070s, and modernizing the aircraft today will pay dividends for decades across Army Aviation’s current and future aircraft.”
The central component of DARPA's ALIAS program is the MATRIX autonomy system. In 2020, Sikorsky contributed hardware and engineering assistance to integrate fly-by-wire flight controls into the MX aircraft under the ALIAS initiative. By incorporating the MATRIX autonomy system, the MX aircraft will closely resemble Sikorsky’s UH-60A fly-by-wire Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter, which serves as the company's experimental platform for testing MATRIX autonomy through extensive flight hours.
In 2025, Sikorsky will integrate the MATRIX system into the MX helicopter. This aircraft will allow DEVCOM to explore and develop the practical applications and potential concepts of operations of a scalable autonomy system. The evaluation will include assessing different sensor suites to perceive and avoid threats, obstacles, and terrain. Additionally, the development of standards and system specifications interfaced with the MATRIX system and a fly-by-wire flight control system will be undertaken.
In July 2024, Sikorsky and DARPA showcased to US military personnel and senior Department of Defense officials the capability of the Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter to be operated from inside the cabin or remotely from the ground by setting high-level mission objectives using a tablet.
The recent demonstrations expanded on the autonomous flights conducted during Project Convergence 2022, where Sikorsky and DARPA showed the U.S. Army that the Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter can effectively and safely carry out internal and external cargo resupply missions without human pilots on board.
The MATRIX technology, with its autonomous features, plays a crucial role in Lockheed Martin's 21st Century Security® vision. This vision involves upgrading the Black Hawk helicopter to proactively address new and evolving threats.
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