Technology To Be Installed on the US Army’s UH-60M Helicopter

Sikorsky, a helicopter manufacturer under Lockheed Martin, recently received a $6 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This grant funds the company’s integration of its MATRIX flight autonomy system with the US Army’s UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter. 

The rotorcraft, dubbed MX, will allow the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to evaluate autonomy capabilities ranging from single pilot ops to uncrewed 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,” commented Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager.

The integration will take place in 2025. DEVCOM will then explore applications of MATRIX and the UH-60M’s fly-by-wire flight controls, including assessing various configurations and developing system specifications.

MATRIX is a part of DARPA's Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program. Sikorsky began working with ALIAS in 2020 by providing hardware and engineering for the MX’s fly-by-wire controls.

The MX aircraft with MATRIX installed will be a near replica of Sikorsky’s previous fly-by-wire UH-60A Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter. In 2022, Sikorsky and DARPA demonstrated the Optionally Piloted Black Hawk’s ability to complete cargo resupply missions uncrewed. Then, in July 2024, the company showcased similar aircraft capabilities in front of U.S. military and Department of Defense personnel. The ‘flying lab’ has since conducted hundreds of flight hours of MATRIX autonomy testing.

“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,” Benton continued.

Autonomous technologies, like MATRIX, play a key role in Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security plan. This aims to modernize the Black Hawk ahead of global threats.

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com