Sikorsky received a $6m award from DARPA to install ALIAS/MATRIX flight autonomy system onto the experimental fly-by-wire UH-60M Black Hawk. Designated MX, the upgrades aircraft will enable the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to test and evaluate a wide range of autonomy capabilities, from single pilot to fully uninhabited flight

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk / S-70 - СШАUSA - 1974

There is high international demand for the Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk, manufactured by Lockheed Martin's PZL Mielec facility in Poland. More than 36 international customers operate the Black Hawk

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk / S-70 - СШАUSA - 1974

The MX aircraft will be a near-exact copy of Sikorsky's UH-60A fly-by-wire Optionally Piloted Black Hawk helicopter, (illustrated), the company's flying lab that has tested MATRIX autonomy over hundreds of flight hours

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk / S-70 - СШАUSA - 1974

When the US Army announced its major aviation restructure in early February 2024, which included cancelling the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) development, it detailed plans to award another multi-year contract for UH-60Ms using newly freed-up resources. The next US Army multi-year contract for Black Hawks will include up to 255 helicopters over five years, starting in 2027. Sikorsky's Black Hawk production line at Stratford, Connecticut, is set to busy well into 2032

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk / S-70 - СШАUSA - 1974

As the US Army looks to the future, it's confronting a complex set of missions and adversaries. In tomorrow's fight, it must be ready to operate over larger expanses of land and water, fight in an all-domain environment, and counter increasingly sophisticated threats; much like other operators, the Black Hawk may well take on a more offensive role with no FARA in service

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk / S-70 - СШАUSA - 1974

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk / S-70 - СШАUSA - 1974

Sikorsky sees the UH-60M Black Hawk as the cornerstone of army aviation to meet tomorrow's global operations. One slated upgrade will see the UH-60M launching and operating intelligence-gathering drones as an airborne, forward-deployed asset

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk / S-70 - СШАUSA - 1974