A U.S. Army National Guard sergeant has become the first soldier to plan and execute real-world autonomous Black Hawk helicopter missions, marking a major milestone in military aviation and autonomous flight technology.
In a demonstration held during the Northern Strike 25-2 training exercise in Michigan, the soldier — who is not a trained aviator — used a handheld tablet to command a Sikorsky Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) Black Hawk equipped with MATRIX™ technology, developed by Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit [NYSE:LMT]. The achievement highlights a significant leap in the integration of artificial intelligence and autonomous control within military operations.
Partnership and Purpose
The demonstration was conducted in partnership with the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Together with Sikorsky, the organisations aimed to showcase how autonomous flight systems can enhance operational reach and reduce risks to personnel in the field.
During the August exercise, Sikorsky deployed its OPV Black Hawk aircraft to perform multiple missions replicating complex, real-world conditions. The goal was to prove that a single soldier, with minimal training, could successfully direct the aircraft’s movements and mission parameters.
According to Sikorsky, the National Guard Sergeant First Class received less than an hour of instruction before independently planning, commanding and executing a sequence of autonomous operations. Using the tablet interface, the soldier directed the helicopter to deliver a payload 70 nautical miles away and completed several precision airborne drops — the first time an OPV Black Hawk had been fully operated by a serving warfighter rather than a test pilot or engineer.
Multiple Exercises Demonstrate Capability
Over the course of Northern Strike, the OPV Black Hawk executed three distinct types of cargo delivery — internal load, external sling load and precision parachute drop — alongside a simulated medical evacuation.
Exercise 1: Parachute Drops and Logistics Recovery
From a Coast Guard vessel on Lake Huron, the soldier planned and executed a Class 1 resupply mission from 70 nautical miles away. Once the cargo was unloaded, the helicopter was directed into racetrack flight patterns while onboard soldiers performed two precision parachute drops at different altitudes. It was the first instance of precision logistics and airborne delivery performed entirely under soldier control.
Exercise 2: Water Buffalo External Sling Load
The OPV Black Hawk achieved its first-ever autonomous hookup of an external load while in flight. Using hover-stability technology, it maintained position as ground troops attached a 2,900-pound water tank without pilot intervention — a demonstration of the aircraft’s potential for field-based aerial resupply.
Exercise 3: HIMARS External Sling Load and Medevac Recovery
In the final test, the helicopter completed six autonomous hookups to transport HIMARS launch tubes to an alternate landing zone. It then carried out a simulated personnel recovery, including a tail-to-tail patient transfer with a piloted Black Hawk on an unimproved site. This marked the first time an untrained soldier directed an autonomous medical evacuation from inside the aircraft itself.
Transforming Military Operations
“With lives on the line, Sikorsky’s MATRIX flight autonomy system can transform how military operators perform their missions,” said Rich Benton, vice president and general manager of Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company. “A piloted Black Hawk aircraft can reduce pilot workload in a challenging environment or complete a resupply mission without humans on board. In contested logistics situations, a Black Hawk operating as a large drone offers commanders greater resilience and flexibility to get resources to the point of need.”
MATRIX technology builds on DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) programme, providing advanced autonomous control capabilities once reserved for trained pilots. The system is designed to support a wide range of missions, from resupply and personnel recovery to logistics operations in low-visibility or high-risk environments — all without placing crew members in danger.
Future-Ready Autonomy
Sikorsky said it views the success at Northern Strike 25-2 as a proof-point for the future of autonomous aviation across the joint services.
“As a pressure-tested mission partner to the joint services, Sikorsky is committed to delivering reliable, future-ready solutions that expand warfighter capabilities and set the standard for autonomous aviation,” the company stated.
The event marks a pivotal step towards integrating AI-enabled flight systems into regular defence operations, offering militaries new ways to conduct logistics and recovery missions while reducing risk to human life.
Photo: The U.S. Army National Guard sergeant uses a tablet to command the Sikorsky OPV Black Hawk as it autonomously transports a 2,900-pound water buffalo sling load for the first time during Northern Strike in Michigan. Courtesy of Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.
