Sikorsky to showcase autonomous flight capabilities for marine corps

Sikorsky to showcase autonomous flight capabilities for marine corps
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 16, 2024

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE:LMT), has been tapped by the U.S. Marine Corps to showcase the capabilities and operational readiness of its MATRIX flight autonomy system. The demonstrations, set to take place in 2025, will leverage Sikorsky's Optionally Piloted UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to assess how autonomous aircraft can support Marines in contested environments through reliable resupply operations.

"Aircraft with MATRIX autonomy can safely and reliably perform a variety of complex missions, including internal and external cargo transport with no one on board," said Rich Benton, vice president and general manager of Sikorsky. "With the Marine Corps, we will explore how an autonomy-based fleet of uncrewed aerial systems, rotary and fixed wing aircraft can sustain the expeditionary force with precision resupply during distributed, high-tempo operations."

These demonstration flights aim to inform the Marine Corps' Aerial Logistics Connector program on the potential of autonomous aircraft to sustain Marine forces operating from Navy vessels or forward bases. As part of the exercise, Marines will utilize a tablet interface to modify missions before or after takeoff, showcasing user-friendly integration with autonomous systems.

Funded Through Naval Air Systems Command

The Marine Corps' demonstrations are supported under a Phase 1 Aerial Logistics Connector agreement through an Other Transaction Agreement facilitated by the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium and awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command to Sikorsky.

A Versatile Autonomy Platform

Developed by Sikorsky Innovations, the MATRIX flight autonomy system is a platform-agnostic technology designed for military and commercial use. Initially created to enhance flight safety for crewed helicopters, MATRIX has evolved through Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funding under the ALIAS program to support a range of operational needs. The system offers assisted flight handling for two pilots, serves as a virtual co-pilot for single-pilot operations, and enables fully autonomous flights without a crew.

Recent Autonomous Flight Demonstrations

Sikorsky has showcased MATRIX's autonomous capabilities during high-profile events in 2024, including Stafford Airport in Virginia in July and the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) exposition in Washington, D.C., in October. During the AUSA demonstration, Department of Defense leaders remotely set mission objectives for a Black Hawk helicopter, which autonomously executed the mission from Sikorsky's headquarters in Connecticut, flying a complete circuit and landing successfully.

These demonstrations build upon earlier autonomous logistics flights, such as those conducted during Project Convergence 2022, where Sikorsky and DARPA demonstrated the Optionally Piloted Black Hawk's ability to carry out internal and external cargo missions autonomously for the U.S. Army.