Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, will integrate its Sikorsky MATRIX autonomy suite into BETA Technologies’ ALIA MV250 hybrid vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The companies have already completed the initial integration on BETA’s CX300 aircraft, with ongoing flight testing planned to support development of the MV250 platform.
According to Sikorsky, the MV250 joins a growing group of aircraft equipped with the MATRIX autonomy system.
Sikorsky MATRIX Autonomy Integrated with MV250
Sikorsky and BETA Technologies formally agreed to the integration initiative earlier this month. Within two weeks, MATRIX autonomy was integrated and flown aboard BETA’s CX300 conventional takeoff and landing aircraft.
The companies said the successful integration on the CX300 provides the foundation for continued development of the ALIA MV250.
According to Sikorsky, the ALIA family shares a common flight control architecture, while MATRIX autonomy uses an open-architecture design intended for integration with other flight control systems.
Ongoing flight testing will expand the aircraft’s flight envelope and evaluate the performance of the MATRIX autonomy suite alongside BETA’s internally developed flight control system.
Sikorsky MATRIX Autonomy Supports Autonomous Flight
Sikorsky said MATRIX autonomy enables advanced autonomous operating modes for both rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft in civil and military environments.
“Integrating the MATRIX autonomy stack into the MV250 is another step forward in providing a range of solutions for contested logistics missions, which we have demonstrated in autonomous operations since 2021,” said Rich Benton, vice president and general manager of Sikorsky. “All platforms equipped with MATRIX autonomy can be commanded using the same interface, giving operators the ability seamlessly manage various systems with just a few taps. MATRIX technology represents an opportunity to get safe, reliable, certifiable autonomy into a range of platforms as quickly as possible.”
Kyle Clark, founder and chief executive officer of BETA Technologies, said the MV250 was designed for autonomous integration.
“Sikorsky has spent years proving that autonomy is safe, reliable, and operationally useful,” said Clark. “The MV250 is low cost, high speed and simple and designed for autonomous integration. Bringing MATRIX autonomy onto the MV250 combines those investments into a platform that can do high-risk missions without putting personnel at risk. Pairing Sikorsky’s proven autonomy with our aircraft gives defense customers a low-cost, fast, credible path to uncrewed logistics in contested environments.”
MV250 Designed for Contested Logistics Missions
According to the companies, the MV250 is intended to address middleweight logistics missions in contested environments by supporting rapid, uncrewed resupply.
The aircraft combines the ALIA family platform with a hybrid powertrain and uses a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) architecture. Sikorsky said this architecture contributed to the speed of MATRIX autonomy integration while supporting multiple mission profiles.
MATRIX Autonomy Expands Across Multiple Platforms
Sikorsky said it has been developing autonomous systems for contested logistics missions since 2021.
In 2025, the company demonstrated cargo delivery and personnel recovery missions using a MATRIX autonomy-equipped Black Hawk operated by a U.S. Army operator. Demonstrated missions included:
- Internal cargo transport
- Sling load delivery
- Parachute air drop
- Personnel recovery
According to Sikorsky, MATRIX autonomy has accumulated:
- More than 1,000 flight hours
- More than 500 successful tests and demonstrations
- Training for more than 100 operators across the Department of War and firefighting communities
- Integration on more than 20 different aircraft platforms
The company also stated that the MATRIX autonomy system forms the core of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program.
The integration of Sikorsky MATRIX autonomy with the BETA Technologies MV250 expands the portfolio of aircraft utilizing the autonomy suite while supporting continued development of autonomous flight capabilities for defense applications.
Source: Press release from Lockheed Martin
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