The U.S. Army has taken delivery of its first optionally-piloted Black Hawk helicopter, designated UH-60Mx. The aircraft is a standard UH-60M upgraded with a removable kit that replaces mechanical flight controls with a fly-by-wire system and adds Sikorsky's MATRIX Autonomy Mission Manager, enabling the helicopter to fly with or without a pilot at the controls. The system can be controlled by troops on the ground, automates complex flight maneuvers, and is designed to reduce pilot workload in low-visibility conditions. The upgrade is the result of years of work between the Army, DARPA, and Sikorsky under the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program. Sikorsky first demonstrated a fully uncrewed Black Hawk flight in 2022.

The delivery moves the program from demonstration into a rigorous testing phase that will validate the aircraft's ability to perform real-world missions autonomously. What makes the concept significant is not the aircraft itself but what it implies for the existing fleet. The autonomy kit is designed as a retrofit, meaning it could potentially be applied across the Army's inventory of Black Hawks rather than requiring a new airframe. If testing confirms the system's reliability, it opens a path toward converting thousands of helicopters already in service into optionally-piloted platforms. The Army is pursuing this alongside a separate effort to equip Black Hawks to carry and launch smaller drones (Launched Effects) mid-flight, further expanding the role of a helicopter that first entered service in 1979.

Israel's Ministry of Defense has contracted Elbit Systems to develop high-power laser weapons for fighter jets and helicopters. The fixed-wing version, called XCalibur, is designed as a pod mounted under F-16 and F-15 aircraft. A separate variant called Sting is intended for helicopters. Elbit's CEO said the company has overcome the main engineering challenges of airborne laser integration: miniaturization, cooling, and beam stabilization during flight. Operating at altitude reduces the atmospheric interference that limits ground-based lasers, extending effective range. The program builds on Elbit's role as laser supplier for Rafael's Iron Beam ground-based system, which became operational in December 2025 and has intercepted dozens of drones and rockets in combat.

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory has developed SPARTA (Soldier Portable Autonomous Reconnaissance Transitioning Aircraft), a 3D-printed reconnaissance drone designed around direct input from soldiers. Total cost is just over $1,000. The drone weighs under one kilogram, combines vertical takeoff with fixed-wing forward flight, and has a range of over 30 km with 30 to 60 minutes of flight time. An entire airframe can be printed overnight and assembled without specialized tools. If it crashes, the printed body absorbs most of the damage while the electronics can be reused in the next print. The system pairs with a mobile makerspace called BISON, equipped with 3D printers, that allows units to manufacture and repair drones at the point of need. ARL is now working with industry to transition SPARTA to production.

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