US Marines test uncrewed Black Hawk flights as Sikorsky’s MATRIX redefines rotary-wing mission autonomy
September 10, 2025
At Sikorsky’s headquarters in Connecticut, US Marines watched a virtual autonomous helicopter autonomously execute their mission plans, adjusting routes, landing in degraded visibility, and navigating complex terrain.
Hours later, the same technology was put to the test in real life. Two different helicopters, a Black Hawk and a Sikorsky Autonomous Research Aircraft (S-76), responded to live commands issued from a tablet, flying unscripted missions with no pilots on board.
This was no routine demonstration. It was a glimpse into how the US Marine Corps could one day resupply troops, deliver emergency aid, or evacuate casualties in hostile territory without placing flight crews in harm’s way.
The centrepiece of the experience was MATRIX, Sikorsky’s autonomy system that enables rotary and fixed-wing aircraft to fly with minimal or zero human input.
Developed in partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), MATRIX is designed not only to support autonomy-assisted flight, but to fully automate complex airborne missions in combat conditions.
For the Marine Corps’ Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) team, the demonstration offered a rare side-by-side view of autonomy in simulation and in the sky. The missions weren’t rehearsed. Commands were issued in real time. And the helicopters, whether in virtual space or in flight, carried out every task.
“Running unscripted missions in both the simulator and outside gave ALC members insight into a proven optionally piloted system that can reliably take on all flight tasks or significantly reduce a human pilot’s workload when weather conditions worsen or mission complexity increases,” says Dan Shidler, Director of Advanced Programs at Sikorsky.
US Marines test an autonomous helicopter
Inside the simulator, military pilots first observed a MATRIX-enabled virtual helicopter flying mission profiles tailored to Marine Corps needs. The same pilots then entered the cockpit to fly the missions themselves, this time with MATRIX acting as a virtual co-pilot.
The autonomy-assisted scenarios weren’t about straight-line flying. Pilots actively modified flight paths mid-mission to test the system’s responsiveness. They evaluated its ability to land with surgical precision in tight spaces under reduced visibility, conditions that frequently challenge crewed missions in real-world deployments.
Later that day, the simulator gave way to live flight.
Two helicopters, each equipped with MATRIX, responded to remote tasking from ALC team members using only a tablet.
One was Sikorsky’s well-known optionally piloted Black Hawk, stationed eight miles away and instructed to lift off autonomously with an external load. The other was an S-76 research aircraft tasked to navigate a virtual obstacle course.
Both completed their missions without pilots on board and without missing a beat.
Autonomous helicopters are already in flight
These aren’t hypothetical technologies under lab conditions. As of August 2025, the MATRIX system has logged over 700 hours of autonomous flight aboard the optionally piloted Black Hawk, including missions with the US Army, NASA, the US Air Force, aerial firefighters and civil operators.
And while the Marine Corps’ recent experience was a turning point in live testing, it was not the first time Sikorsky has demonstrated real-world autonomy in demanding environments.
In October 2022, during the US Army’s Project Convergence exercises in Arizona, Sikorsky and DARPA flew three MATRIX-equipped autonomous Black Hawk missions that redefined expectations of what rotary-wing aircraft could do, without anyone in the cockpit.
Over the span of 2.4 hours at Yuma Proving Ground, an optionally piloted Black Hawk performed three key missions:
- Medical resupply: Flying 83 miles with 400 units of blood and descending to 200 feet through valley terrain to evade detection.
- External cargo delivery: Transporting a 2,600-lb load across 30 minutes of autonomous flight.
- Casualty evacuation: Landing under remote control near a threat zone, taking aboard a manikin representing a wounded soldier, and flying it to a simulated field hospital.
The missions were fully autonomous, save for moments when a ground operator equipped with only a tablet and secure radio took temporary control.
In combat scenarios, such control could be transferred to field operators to reroute or adapt missions as threats evolve.
During the casualty evacuation segment, the aircraft’s onboard communications system relayed patient vitals using the BATDOK health-monitoring tool, demonstrating that MATRIX isn’t just a flight solution; it’s part of a fully integrated battlefield network.
Optionally piloted, not just uncrewed
Unlike traditional uncrewed aerial systems that rely on remote human operators, MATRIX empowers the aircraft itself to take full control. The system builds and adjusts its own flight plans, navigates topography, manages take-off and landing, and responds to mission changes in real time.
Still, the flexibility of the system is key. The same Black Hawk can be flown by two pilots, one, or none at all, making it adaptable to evolving mission needs and resource availability. As Sikorsky’s Igor Cherepinsky noted, this makes it easier for commanders to choose the right configuration depending on the threat level or terrain.
“We believe MATRIX Technology is ready now for transition to the Army as they look to modernise the enduring helicopter fleet, and acquire Future Vertical Lift aircraft,” said Cherepinsky.
