Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, and Robinson Helicopter Company announced a collaboration on March 10, 2026, to integrate Sikorsky’s MATRIX™ autonomy system into the Robinson R66 TURBINETRUCK, an unmanned cargo helicopter designed for commercial and defense utility missions.
The R66 TURBINETRUCK, developed by Robinson Unmanned, removes cockpit and crew stations to accommodate a high-volume fuselage, cargo floor, and nose-mounted clamshell door for rapid loading of palletized freight. It supports internal and external cargo operations in contested environments, built on the proven R66 Turbine airframe powered by a Rolls-Royce RR300 turboshaft engine rated at 270 shp for takeoff and 224 shp continuous. The platform offers a maximum external load of 1,200 lb in utility configurations, with a maximum gross weight up to 2,900 lb.
This marks the 21st aircraft enabled by MATRIX, which has accumulated over 1,000 flight hours across platforms from small drones to strategic airlift. Drawing features from Sikorsky’s S-70UAS™ U-Hawk™, MATRIX employs a modular open architecture for mission software swaps. Operators input goals via a MATRIX tablet; the system generates flight plans using cameras, sensors, and algorithms for navigation in obstacle-rich areas.
“With every new platform we welcome into the MATRIX family, we widen the network of uncrewed systems to serve a variety of civil and military missions,” said Rich Benton, vice president and general manager of Sikorsky. The design emphasizes low acquisition costs, replaceable components, and reduced ownership risk through 2,000-hour airframe and engine TBOs.