Lockheed Martin demonstrates autonomous piloting of Black Hawk by a non-aviator soldier

Published: 2025-10-31 08:30:20 ET LMT

Published on 10/31/2025 at 08:30 am EDT

Lockheed Martin announces a major breakthrough in aerial autonomy: for the first time, a US soldier with no pilot training planned and executed real missions aboard an Option Pilotable (OPV) Black Hawk helicopter equipped with MATRIX(TM) technology developed by its subsidiary Sikorsky.During the Northern Strike 25-2 exercises, organized with DARPA and the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, the soldier took complete control of the aircraft using a simple tablet, carrying out several logistics, precision parachuting, and medical evacuation missions.The demonstrations confirmed the autonomous Black Hawk's ability to perform complex operations—external load transport, resupply, and medical recovery—without pilot intervention. According to Rich Benton, vice president of Sikorsky, this technology can transform the way the military conducts missions by reducing risks to personnel.These results validate the potential of MATRIX technology to expand the use of autonomous helicopters in resupply and rescue missions in hostile environments.