DARPA has awarded a contract to Sikorsky for integrating the MATRIX autonomous flight kit on a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter.
The helicopter, designated as MX due to its experimental use is the new phase of the Army's ongoing efforts to introduce unmanned operation capability to the Black Hawk helicopters anticipated to serve into the 2070s. The integration will take place in 2025.
MARTIX will enable single pilot or fully unmanned operation of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with its autononmous capabilities to reduce workload. The remote control can be performed with a tablet, similar to how field-level UAVs are controlled.
Previously, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with a remote control kit demonstrated cargo carriage and landing capabilities without a pilot to intervene in 2022 as a part of the Project Convergence.
Black Hawk isn't the only Army aircraft to start benefitting from unmanned operation. Bell's V-280 Valor tiltrotor chosen as the winner of the FLRAA programme is also being tested for autonomous flight.
