The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has transferred an autonomous flight system developed under its ALIAS program to the US Army, delivering a modified H-60Mx Black Hawk equipped with Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy suite. The milestone marks the transition of the technology from research to operational evaluation, according to DARPA.
The aircraft, described by the US Army as an “optimally piloted vehicle,” is based on a standard UH-60M Black Hawk but has been extensively modified with a fly-by-wire control system, additional sensors and a dedicated flight computer to support autonomous operations. It can be flown fully autonomously, with reduced crew, or in conventional mode with pilots onboard.
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The H-60Mx builds on earlier demonstrators developed by Sikorsky and DARPA, including an optionally piloted UH-60A that completed fully autonomous flights in 2022 without a crew onboard. Those tests demonstrated the system’s ability to handle complete missions, from pre-flight checks to landing, including responses to simulated failures.
Under the ALIAS (Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System) program, DARPA aimed to create a modular automation architecture that could be retrofitted to existing aircraft. The system is designed to reduce pilot workload and enable operations in complex or degraded environments, while also allowing new concepts such as uncrewed or minimally crewed missions.
See also: U.S. Army has already flying with the remotely operated Black Hawk helicopter
The US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command will now use the H-60Mx as a flying testbed to further mature the technology. Planned work includes integrating mission-specific sensors and evaluating how autonomous and reduced-crew operations could be applied in operational scenarios.
According to the Army, the system’s automation can take over demanding flight tasks, allowing crews to focus on mission management rather than aircraft handling. The approach is also aligned with broader efforts to integrate crewed platforms with drones and other networked systems in future operations.
