The Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) Black Hawk program was launched by the US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (AMRDEC). A JUH-60A was modified as the Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concept Airborne Laboratory ( RASCAL ) to develop the next generation of technological advances in military helicopters: obstacle field navigation and safe landing area determination.
In 2022, equipped with DARPA Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System ( ALIAS ) completed its first uninhabited and autonomous flight.
In 2025, the US Army selected Near Earth Autonomy and Honeywell to retrofit UH-60L Black Hawks with advanced autonomy kits as its new logistics solution.
In 2022, equipped with DARPA Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System ( ALIAS ) completed its first uninhabited and autonomous flight.
In 2025, the US Army selected Near Earth Autonomy and Honeywell to retrofit UH-60L Black Hawks with advanced autonomy kits as its new logistics solution.
OPV Black Hawk News |
Autonomous Black Hawk Firefighter Demonstration in California
01-May-25 - California firefighters witnessed water drops from an autonomous Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter guided by Rain wildfire mission autonomy technology #firefighting
US Army Selects Tech for Autonomous Black Hawk
29-Apr-25 - US Army selects Near Earth Autonomy and Honeywell for its autonomous Black Hawk helicopter logistics solution. The contract will see the retrofitting of old UH-60L Black Hawks with advanced autonomy kits #BlackHawk
Sikorsky to Demonstrate Flight Autonomy to the Marines
13-Dec-24 - Under the Phase 1 Aerial Logistics Connector agreement with the US Naval Air Systems Command, Sikorsky will demonstrate its Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, equipped with the MATRIX flight autonomy system, to the US Marine Corps in 2025 #drones
Rain Autonomous Black Hawk Firefighter Demonstration
11-Nov-24 - Rain and Lockheed Martin demonstrates in Connecticut an aerial water drop by an autonomous Black Hawk helicopter to representatives from NASA, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Los Angeles County Fire Department and Orange County Fire Authority #firefighting
DARPA Installs MATRIX on UH-60MX Black Hawk
14-Oct-24 - The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded Lockheed-Martin a $6M contract to install its ALIAS/MATRIX flight autonomy system onto the US Army’s experimental fly-by-wire UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter #MX| 01-Mar-24 | Autonomous Black Hawk for Rapid Response to Wildfires Heli-Expo 2024 |
| 14-Oct-23 | Rain and Uncrewed Black Hawk in Aerial Wildland Firefighting #firefighting |
| 12-Apr-23 | Remotely Controlled Firefighter Black Hawk Helicopter #firefighting |
| 01-Dec-22 | “Best of What’s New” for Optionally Piloted Black Hawk #innovation |
| 04-Nov-22 | Black Hawk Flies Missions Without Pilots #drones |
| 09-Feb-22 | “ALIAS” OPV Black Hawk First Autonomous Flight #drones |
| 30-Mar-21 | OPV Black Hawk with Supervised Autonomy #drones |
| 19-Aug-19 | Black Hawk SFM Drone First Flight #drones |
| 06-Jun-19 | New Fly-by-Wire Kit for Optionally Piloted Black Hawk #BlackHawk |
| 20-Jan-16 | UGV/UAV Joint Autonomy demonstration for US Army |
| 13-May-14 | Autonomous UH-60A for Cargo missions |
| 13-May-14 | Sikorsky and NREC partners in Army demonstration |
| 21-Apr-14 | Optionally Piloted Black Hawk First Flight |
| 29-Apr-13 | US Army Optionally Piloted Black Hawk |
| 03-Dec-12 | US Army Black Hawk flies autonomously |
List of Operators of OPV Black Hawk |
| Years | Model | Org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974- | S-70 H-60 |  Sikorsky Helicopters | |
| 2025- | US Army Aviation |
Construction Numbers |
| C/N | Year | History | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70-115 | 1980 | 79-23298,N600PV | ||
