Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, received $6 million from the US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to install the ALIAS/MATRIX advanced autonomous driving system on the US Army's UH-60M Black Hawk experimental helicopter.

The upgraded pilot vehicle, named MX, will allow the US Army's Combat Capability Development Command (DEVCOM) to test and evaluate autonomous driving capabilities ranging from single-pilot operations to completely unmanned flights.

"Autonomous aircraft will reduce the workload on the pilot, significantly improve flight safety and give commanders during combat the flexibility to perform complex missions on a chaotic and intense battlefield, day or night, in all weather conditions," said Rich Benton, Sikorsky's vice president. . Benton emphasized that this upgrade will help ensure that Black Hawk helicopters remain in service despite originally being designed in the 1970s, and will provide long-term benefits to US military aviation.

MATRIX is the centerpiece of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program, which is designed to improve pilot safety and high-risk mission success.

In 2020, Sikorsky added ON WIRE flight controls to the MX, creating an almost exact replica of the UH-60A Black Hawk, which serves as the company's flight laboratory for testing autonomous flight systems.

The ALIAS program aims to enable helicopters to perform complex tasks autonomously, and enable operations in dense and diverse environments. Once integrated into the MX helicopter in 2025, the system will provide DEVCOM with a platform to evaluate various sensor packages and autonomy applications, while improving situational awareness and safety.

In a demonstration in July 2024, Sikorsky and the Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency demonstrated the converted Black Hawk to senior officials in the US Army and Defense Department. The helicopter's autonomous capabilities are demonstrated through simple mission commands transmitted from a tablet, whether the operator is on the ground or in the cockpit. These demonstrations followed successful tests in the "Convergence 2022" project, in which the helicopter performed autonomous cargo delivery missions.