U.S. Army Demonstrates Fully Autonomous Black Hawk Flight — Non‑Pilots Can Now Fly It with a Tablet

The U.S. Army recently achieved a groundbreaking milestone in aviation: a fully autonomous version of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, outfitted with the MATRIX autonomy system from Lockheed Martin, completed a 70‑nautical‑mile mission under the control of a single soldier — and that soldier had no formal pilot training. 

During the recent exercise Northern Strike 25‑2 held in Michigan in August 2025, a U.S. Army National Guard Sergeant First Class sat behind a handheld touchscreen tablet and planned, commanded, and executed real-world flight missions for an Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) Black Hawk. In less than an hour of training, he was ready to operate — proving how intuitive the system is. 

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Complex Missions, Fully Automated by MATRIX

Over the course of the test exercise, the autonomous Black Hawk performed a variety of complicated tasks — all fully commanded via tablet, without manual piloting:

• Cargo resupply: The helicopter transported a 2,900‑pound “water buffalo” external sling load after being directed from a Coast Guard boat on Lake Huron. 

• Precision parachute drops: Once airborne and in a “racetrack” flight pattern over the lake, the helicopter carried out two precision airdrops at different altitudes — marking the first time the aircraft executed airborne drops completely under soldier control. 

• External load operations: In separate missions, the OPV Black Hawk autonomously held stable hover while ground personnel hooked up heavy loads. This included both a water tank sling load and external loads of heavy artillery launch tubes (for example, from a HIMARS rocket launcher). In total, the helicopter completed six autonomous hook‑ups during the exercise. Simulated MEDEVAC / personnel recovery: The most striking demonstration was a simulated medical evacuation: the autonomous helicopter conducted a tail‑to‑tail transfer of a “patient” to a human‑piloted Black Hawk at an austere landing site. This marks the first time an untrained soldier commanded a MEDEVAC recovery operation using a Black Hawk. 

Lockheed Martin says this shows how MATRIX can operate as both a “digital co‑pilot” when there are crew onboard, or completely independently when flown remotely — enabling resupply, recovery, and other mission‑critical flights without putting human pilots at risk. 

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Why This Matters: Transforming Military Air Operations

The significance of this demonstration goes far beyond a simple test flight. For decades, flying helicopters like the Black Hawk required highly trained pilots — but MATRIX changes that paradigm. A single account shows how a non‑aviator with less than an hour’s training can manage an entire mission from take‑off to landing. 

For commanders and planners, this opens up new possibilities:

• Safer missions: In high‑risk environments — for example, warzones, contested airspace, or disaster zones — keeping pilots out of the aircraft reduces exposure to danger.

• Greater flexibility and speed: Because missions can be commanded remotely by relatively inexperienced personnel, assets can be deployed faster and more flexibly to where they’re needed.

• Reduced crew fatigue and extended endurance: Autonomous systems don’t suffer from human limitations such as fatigue or crew duty-cycle restrictions — meaning long or repetitive missions become more feasible. 

• Easier modernization: Because MATRIX can be retrofitted onto existing Black Hawk airframes, militaries already operating the UH-60 family — more than 4,000 worldwide across 36 countries — can potentially upgrade their fleets without buying entirely new aircraft. 

In fact, alongside the OPV Black Hawk, Lockheed Martin recently unveiled a fully autonomous cargo‑dedicated variant, the S-70UAS U-Hawk. It removes the cockpit and crew stations, replaces them with cargo doors and ramps, and uses the same MATRIX core — allowing remote command from a tablet. 

This suggests a clear roadmap: from crew-assisted flight, to optionally‑piloted aircraft, to fully pilotless — all based on a proven, ubiquitous platform. 

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What This Means for the Future

As autonomous flight technology matures, the implications could be significant not only for the U.S. military, but for allies and partner nations. The rise of optionally‑piloted or fully autonomous helicopters could reshape how air logistics, medevac, and support missions are conducted — especially under contested or hazardous conditions.

For example, while human‑piloted helicopters remain invaluable for precision manned operations, an OPV or uncrewed variant could handle routine resupply, casualty evacuation, or cargo transport — freeing up pilots for more demanding tasks, and keeping aircrews out of harm’s way.

Moreover, because MATRIX can be retrofitted onto existing Black Hawk helicopters, many countries already operating the UH‑60 family could upgrade their fleets relatively quickly and cost‑effectively — without procuring entirely new airframes.

In short: this demonstration is not just a technical feat — it represents a paradigm shift in military rotorcraft aviation. The Black Hawk, long regarded as a workhorse utility helicopter, might soon evolve into a versatile, optionally‑autonomous asset — operated by pilots when needed, or run like a large, high-capacity drone when the situation demands.