Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky has been awarded a $6 million contract by DARPA to equip the US Army’s experimental UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter with the Matrix flight autonomy system. The Matrix system aims to improve flight safety, reliability, and efficiency for both fixed and rotary wing aircraft under DARPA’s Aircrew Labour In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program. The upgraded UH-60M, designated as MX, will feature autonomy capabilities that allow for single-pilot or fully autonomous operation. Sikorsky’s integration of the system, scheduled for next year, will help the US Army assess autonomy features, including obstacle detection and sensor integration. These advancements align with Lockheed Martin’s broader goal of modernizing military aviation and have been showcased in successful autonomous flight demonstrations like Project Convergence 2022.
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