U.S. Soldier Commands Autonomous Black Hawk Missions for First Time

For the first time, a U.S. soldier with no aviation background planned and executed real-world missions using an autonomous Black Hawk helicopter during the Northern Strike 25-2 military exercise in August.

Lockheed Martin Sikorsky’s Optionally Piloted Black Hawk, equipped with MATRIX technology, was deployed in collaboration with the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The demonstration highlighted how autonomous systems could extend operational reach and lower risks to human crews in complex environments.

A U.S. Army National Guard Sergeant First Class became the first soldier to independently plan, command, and execute multiple missions using a handheld tablet interface. In less than an hour of training, the soldier directed the aircraft to a destination 70 nautical miles away and carried out multiple precision airborne drops—marking the first time an OPV Black Hawk was fully operated by an active-duty soldier rather than a trained pilot or engineer.

The demonstration included several operational firsts. In the initial exercise, the soldier conducted a logistics resupply from a Coast Guard vessel on Lake Huron and commanded the OPV Black Hawk to perform precision parachute drops. A second mission showcased the helicopter’s ability to autonomously hover while soldiers attached a 2,900-pound water tank beneath it—a key milestone for aerial resupply operations.

In another test, the aircraft transported High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launch tubes and executed a simulated medical evacuation. The soldier commanded the Black Hawk to perform an autonomous patient transfer at an unimproved landing site, marking the first instance of a soldier-led autonomous medevac operation.

The MATRIX system, developed under DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program, enables non-pilot operators to control sophisticated flight operations, including resupply and personnel recovery missions, even in hazardous or low-visibility conditions.