Skyryse flew a Black Hawk helicopter equipped with its SkyOS flight automation system on February 3, completing automated pickup, hover, and touchdown using single-joystick controls. The integration took 91 days.
The demonstration matters because it shows civilian automation technology working in a legacy military airframe. Skyryse's approach differs from competitors: rather than purpose-built autonomous aircraft, SkyOS retrofits existing helicopters with triple-redundant systems that enable zero, one, or two-pilot operations. The company claims its simplified cockpit reduces pilot workload and improves visibility in degraded conditions like brownouts.
Skyryse raised over $300M in Series C funding at a $1.15B valuation. The capital backs its expansion beyond the Robinson R66-based Skyryse One into military and commercial retrofits. Contracts include the U.S. Army, ACE Aeronautics (hundreds of Black Hawks), and United Rotorcraft, a Part 145 MRO facility handling H125, H130, and Black Hawk upgrades for wildfire and emergency response operators.
The competitive landscape is crowded. Sikorsky's Matrix autonomy system, Boeing, Honeywell, and Near Earth are all pursuing Black Hawk automation. What differentiates Skyryse is the universal OS claim: the same software running across Black Hawks, Airbus H125/H130, Bell 407, Pilatus PC-12, and Beechcraft King Air. Whether that platform approach survives contact with military certification requirements remains to be seen.
Three things to watch: First, certification timelines. Skyryse has flown a Cirrus SR-22 with SkyOS (October 2025) and demonstrated automated R66 operations, but FAA and military airworthiness approvals are different beasts. Second, retrofit economics versus new-build autonomous aircraft. Third, how operators balance reduced pilot requirements against crew training costs and regulatory complexity.
The 91-day integration claim is notable if it holds across different airframes. That speed could matter for operators facing pilot shortages, though it assumes certification pathways are equally fast. History suggests they won't be.