Utilizing Sikorsky's MATRIX system like that found in its Optionally Piloted Black Hawk (OPBH) Demonstrator, and equipped with a datalink and multi-spectral sensor package, the flight of the Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA) marked the completion of Phase 1 of a US$8 million award from DARPA's ALIAS program, which is aiming to create and deploy greater levels of automation into existing military and commercial aircraft to reduce, or even remove, onboard crew.

Unlike rotor-wing craft specifically built to be pilotless, such as the R-Bat unmanned helicopter, ALIAS technology also looks to take advantage of advances in autonomic controls to work in conjunction with aircrew to reduce pilot workload and improve mission capabilities, while enhancing aircraft safety and reliability.