Black Hawk helicopters will fly without pilots thanks to a “robotic brain”

The experimental US Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter with remote control is equipped with a “robotic brain''. This innovation will allow the helicopter to function autonomously, regardless of whether there is a person on board.

Sikorsky, part of Lockheed Martin, received a $6 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to install the ALIAS/MATRIX autonomous flight control system on the US Army's Black Hawk experimental helicopter, which operates on the principle of “fly- by-wire».

The upgraded aircraft, designated MX, will allow the US Army's Combat Capability Development Command (DEVCOM) to test and evaluate a wide range of autonomous flight capabilities – from single-pilot control to completely unmanned flights. "Autonomous aircraft will reduce the burden on pilots, significantly increase flight safety, and give combatant commanders the flexibility to perform complex missions in a competitive and congested battlespace, day or night, in all weather conditions,&rdash; said Rich Benton, vice president and general manager of Sikorsky. "Soldiers will rely on Black Hawk helicopters well into the 2070s, and modernizing them today will pay dividends for decades for current and future Air Force helicopters.

The MATRIX autonomy system is the basis of the DARPA ALIAS program (Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System – Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System). As part of the ALIAS program, in 2020 Sikorsky provided hardware and engineering support to equip the MX helicopter with a radio flight control system.

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Combined with the autonomy system, the MATRIX MX will be a near-exact replica of the Sikorsky UH-60A helicopter with optional piloting of the Black Hawk, the company's flying laboratory that has tested the MATRIX's autonomy during hundreds of flight hours. Sikorsky will integrate the MATRIX system into the MX helicopter in 2025. This aircraft will allow DEVCOM to explore and refine practical applications of a scalable autonomy system and potential operational concepts.

The evaluation will include analysis of various sensor arrays for sensing and avoiding threats, obstacles and terrain, as well as development of standards and system specifications related to the MATRIX system and on-board flight control system.

In July 2024, Sikorsky and DARPA demonstrated to U.S. military personnel and senior DoD officials how an optionally piloted Black Hawk helicopter can be easily controlled by an operator in the cockpit or on the ground, entering high-level mission objectives via a tablet.

These recent demonstrations were based on autonomous flights as part of Project Convergence 2022, when Sikorsky and DARPA successfully demonstrated to the US military how the optionally piloted Black Hawk helicopter, operating without humans on board, can safely and reliably perform internal and external cargo resupply missions .

Autonomous capabilities such as MATRIX technology are a key part of Lockheed Martin's 21st Century Security concept, which includes upgrading the Black Hawk helicopter to stay one step ahead of new and emerging threats. In addition to autonomy, the US Army's Black Hawk could be equipped with planned next-generation engines as early as 2025.

This engine, developed as part of the Turbine Engine Improvement Program (ITEP), promises better performance, range and durability than existing engines. However, the T901 has experienced many delays due to technical and supply chain issues.