DARPA to test autonomous flight capability on Army’s Black Hawk helicopter in 2025

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded Sikorsky a $6 million contract to integrate an autonomous flight system onto the Army’s UH-60M Black Hawk to experiment with AI-enabled operations, the company announced Monday.

The Lockheed Martin-subsidiary will add its MATRIX autonomy system onto the upgraded helicopter, designated MX, in 2025, allowing the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to test and mature a range of autonomous flight capabilities — from solo-pilot ops to fully unmanned flight, according to a press release.

“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,” Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “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.”

As the Army modernizes its aviation fleet under its future vertical lift portfolio, leaders have been keen on integrating autonomy and artificial intelligence where they can. That includes introducing new drones — such as the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) and smaller “launched effects” — as well as looking at ways manned platforms can carry autonomous flight capabilities.

Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy is the foundation of the companies work on DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation system (ALIAS) program, which looks to develop a customizable, removable system that introduces AI-enabled flight into existing aircraft while reducing cognitive loads on pilots. As part of the program, the company demonstrated the first-ever flight of a UH-60A “optionally piloted” Black Hawk without any crew onboard in 2022.

The upgraded MX Black Hawk will be almost exactly like Sikorsky’s UH-60A fly-by-wire Black Hawk. The new contract will enable DEVCOM to experiment and mature applications of autonomous flight and develop concepts of operations around scalable autonomy, according to the company.

“Evaluation will include assessment of different sensor suites to perceive and avoid threats, obstacles and terrain, and develop standards and system specifications interfaced with the MATRIX system and a fly-by-wire flight control system,” per the press release.