Firing triple rocket pods used to equip fighter aircraft and escorting Marine helicopters, drones are changing the way U.S.

The U.S. Army has taken a major step toward autonomous aviation after receiving its first Black Hawk helicopter capable of flying with or without a pilot onboard, the War Department has announced. The ...

The Army this week accepted its first optionally piloted Black Hawk helicopter, a modified version of Sikorsky’s workhorse utility chopper that can be flown by pilots in the cockpit or by troops on ...

In addition to its “MATRIX” automated pilot, the new Black Hawks will have improved controls, including a complete fly-by-wire system. The United States Army is now testing an “extensively modified” ...

The Black Hawk is a family of utility helicopters made by Sikorsky, a company owned by Lockheed Martin. One of the mainstays of the U.S. Army, it is extensively used by the U.S. military as a ...

As the Army looks to cut 6,000 pilots and aviation crew, the Chinook is the second current Army helicopter modified to fly without a pilot. By Nicholas Slayton Published Apr 23, 2026 8:00 AM EDT Add ...