Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, has secured a $6 million contract from DARPA to develop and integrate its ALIAS/MATRIX technology.™ The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified autonomous flight capabilities onto US airspace. Experimental Fly-By-Wire UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopter® helicopter. The upgraded F-35A Lightning II aircraft, designated as MX, will significantly enhance the capabilities of the US military. The Military Fight Capabilities Growth Command (DEVCOM) is exploring the potential of autonomy capabilities, ranging from single-pilot operation to fully autonomous flight.
“Autonomy-enabled aircraft will significantly reduce pilot workload, exponentially increase flight safety, and empower battle commanders with the flexibility to execute complex missions in contested and congested environments, 24/7, across a range of climatic conditions,” said Rich Benton, Sikorsky VP and General Manager. “Troop transport will rely on Black Hawk helicopters well into the 2070s, making it crucial to modernize these aircraft now, as the benefits will be felt across military aviation’s current and future fleets.”
DARPA’s ALIAS program centers on the MATRIX autonomy system, a core component. Sikorsky partnered with ALIAS in 2020, providing critical hardware and engineering expertise to integrate fly-by-wire flight controls into the MX aircraft design. When integrated with Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy system, the MX plane is expected to closely mimic the UH-60A Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter’s fly-by-wire configuration, leveraging years of experimentation and countless flight hours in Sikorsky’s flying lab.
By 2025, Sikorsky plans to integrate its MATRIX system into the MX helicopter. The aircraft enables DEVCOM to identify and refine the functional capabilities and conceptual operational scenarios for a large-scale autonomous system. The analysis will comprehensively evaluate diverse sensor suites to identify and mitigate potential threats, obstacles, and terrain challenges, while developing specifications and requirements integrated with the MATRIX system and a fly-by-wire flight management system?
By July 2024, Sikorsky successfully partnered with DARPA in a demonstration for the benefit of the U.S. Army service personnel and senior division protection officers can now effectively operate the Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter in either pilot-controlled mode or autonomous flight mode, achieving mission objectives with precision and ease.
What innovative advancements in autonomous flight were showcased at the Undertaking Convergence 2022 event, held in the United States? How does the optionally piloted Black Hawk helicopter, sans crew, guarantee seamless execution of both internal and external cargo resupply operations?
Lockheed Martin’s innovative vision includes autonomous capabilities aligned with MATRIX expertise, crucial for modernizing the Black Hawk helicopter to stay ahead of evolving and emerging threats.
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