Sikorsky, operating as a Lockheed Martin company, announced the delivery of an experimental UH-60MX Black Hawk to the U.S. Army with the aircraft fully integrated with the MATRIX autonomy suite. The delivery comes after successful flight testing and represents a milestone in the Army’s efforts to field open-architecture, mission-supported autonomy and optionally piloted operations.
The UH-60MX is configured to mirror Sikorsky’s UH-60A fly-by-wire Optionally Piloted Black Hawk, a variant that has accumulated hundreds of flight hours in testing. That earlier Optionally Piloted UH-60A was also publicly demonstrated when it was commanded by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in November 2025. Sikorsky reports that the MATRIX autonomy kit has been installed across the Army’s three Black Hawk variants - the 60A, 60L and 60M - and that the MX delivery is the first instance of a full-authority fly-by-wire, optionally piloted UH-60 being placed into the Army’s fleet.
Installation of the fly-by-wire flight controls on the MX airframe and the subsequent integration of the MATRIX autonomy system were completed in 2025 through a collaborative effort between the Army and Sikorsky. The Army Combat Capabilities Development Command will operate the MX aircraft to conduct testing and evaluation of autonomy capabilities. The system is designed to allow platforms to switch between manned, optionally piloted and fully autonomous modes, supporting flexibility in mission profiles.
The MATRIX autonomy suite brings a range of automated functions intended for operations in challenging visual conditions. Key capabilities include automated landing-zone detection and obstacle-avoidance designed for use in degraded visual environments. The system supplies real-time terrain and obstacle awareness to assist both pilots and autonomous control systems in avoiding hazards and potential threats.
Sikorsky emphasizes that MATRIX uses an open architecture approach. That design is intended to reduce maintenance hours and, consequently, to lower lifecycle costs associated with the platform. The UH-60MX is slated to support the Army as it develops techniques, tactics and procedures for employing optionally piloted and fully autonomous systems across relevant missions.
Finally, the MATRIX autonomy suite is identified as the core component of DARPA’s ALIAS program, aligning the technology with broader autonomy research efforts. The delivery of the UH-60MX marks a step in moving those capabilities from testing to operational evaluation within the Army testing community.