In this article:
UH-60MX Black Hawk for the US Army
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, announced the successful flight testing and delivery of the US Army’s experimental UH-60MX Black Hawk helicopter fully integrated with the company’s MATRIX autonomy suite. The delivery of the UH-60MX aircraft, owned and operated by the Army, marks a milestone in the Army’s pursuit of open architecture, mission supported autonomy and optionally piloted flight.
This milestone is the capstone achievement of DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program. The program’s objective was to create a highly automated system that could be integrated into existing aircraft to enhance mission flexibility and safety, particularly in complex and contested environments. The successful maturation and transfer of this technology to a service partner is a prime example of DARPA’s core mission: developing breakthrough technologies and reducing their risks for military adoption.
“The ALIAS program has successfully developed and demonstrated a powerful, flexible automation architecture that is now poised to provide the U.S. Army with a significant operational edge,” said Stuart Young, the ALIAS program manager in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office, in an agency news release. “This transition is a testament to the power of government and industry partnership to advance technology. It will allow the Army to build on a solid foundation of technical-risk reduction, enabling them to explore new warfighting concepts and push the boundaries of what’s possible in aviation.”
Under DARPA’s leadership, the ALIAS program rigorously developed, tested and proved the MATRIX technology, demonstrating everything from basic air maneuvers to complex mission profiles. A key achievement was the world’s first-ever uninhabited flight of a Black Hawk helicopter in 2022, proving the system could handle an entire mission from pre-flight checks to autonomous landing, including responding to simulated system failures.
Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter
“The Army now has a new tool that furthers its vision laid out in the Army Transformation Initiative to mature and qualify pilot supported autonomy,” said Rich Benton, vice president and general manager, Sikorsky, in a company news release. “This capability will enhance mission effectiveness and survivability for warfighters today and lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s networked systems.”
The MX aircraft mirrors Sikorsky’s UH-60A fly-by-wire Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter, which has been tested by Sikorsky and Army aviators over hundreds of flight hours and was commanded by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in November 2025. Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy kit has been installed on all three Army Black Hawk models, the 60A, 60L and 60M. The delivery to the US Army is the first full authority fly-by-wire and optionally piloted UH-60 in the US Army’s fleet.
The Army and Sikorsky worked collaboratively to install fly-by-wire flight controls to the MX aircraft and then integrate the MATRIX autonomy system in 2025. The Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) will use the MX aircraft to test and evaluate autonomy capabilities, underscoring the Army’s commitment to fielding platforms that can seamlessly transition between manned, optionally piloted and fully autonomous modes.
Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy suite is one of the priorities in the company’s autonomy strategy and Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security vision, which includes modernizing the Black Hawk helicopter and introducing the S-70UAS U-Hawk to stay ahead of new and emerging threats.
MATRIX
MATRIX enables:
- Improved Mission Effectiveness – Automated landing zone detection and obstacle avoidance enable safe operations in degraded visual environments, expanding the tactical envelope for Army missions.
- Improved Aircraft Survivability – Real time terrain and obstacle awareness helps pilots and autonomous systems avoid threats, reducing exposure to hostile fire and hazardous terrain.
- Improved Sustainment – The open architecture design reduces maintenance hours, delivering a measurable reduction in lifecycle costs.
- Reduced Pilot Workload – Automation of routine flight control tasks allows pilots to focus on mission critical decisions, increasing overall sortie effectiveness.
- Foundational Infrastructure for Future Autonomy – MATRIX establishes a scalable baseline for emerging capabilities such as launched effects, contested logistics and fully optionally piloted or uncrewed operations.
Looking Forward
The UH-60MX will assist the Army in the development of techniques, tactics and procedures (TTPs) for the use of optionally piloted and fully autonomous systems. The Army’s human-machine integrated formations conduct a wide variety of combat and combat support missions across the Army and joint force.
The MATRIX autonomy system forms the core of DARPA’s ALIAS (Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System) program.
Photo credit: Sikorsky
