Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, received $6 million from the US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to install the ALIAS/MATRIX advanced autonomous driving system on the US Army's UH-60M Black Hawk experimental helicopter.

The upgraded pilot vehicle, named MX, will allow the US Army's Combat Capability Development Command (DEVCOM) to test and evaluate autonomous driving capabilities ranging from single-pilot operations to completely unmanned flights.

"Autonomous aircraft will reduce the workload on the pilot, significantly improve flight safety and give commanders during combat the flexibility to perform complex missions on a chaotic and intense battlefield, day or night, in all weather conditions," said Rich Benton, Sikorsky's vice president. . Benton emphasized that this upgrade will help ensure that Black Hawk helicopters remain in service despite originally being designed in the 1970s, and will provide long-term benefits to US military aviation.